Bandwidth assignment for target tracking in coherent distributed aperture radar networks

Multiple target tracking using networks of coherently integrated radar apertures is a current research topic that promises improved tracking accuracy and more efficient system implementations. The design of such tracking systems is complicated by the multiple subsystem functions involved in overall system performance. The separate isolated design of these functions results in suboptimal system performance. In this paper we consider the overall multiple radar system optimization by means of aperture waveform bandwidth allocation. In general, a greater aggregate bandwidth assigned to a target results in a more accurate target track. However, since multiple targets are simultaneously tracked, the data network transmission capacity limits the overall throughput resulting in a resource assignment problem. The assignment problem is specifically to assign available multi-radar bandwidth in a manner that maximizes the number of targets that achieve a terminal tracking error that is less than the maximum error allowed. We introduce a multistage control framework to demonstrate the performance of a proportional assignment procedure for countering a saturation attack. Conclusions for designing suitable distributed radar systems are given.