The Coherent MapDrift technique robustness to low SNR SAR data

Most of known autofocus techniques properly focusing synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images for high signal to noise ratio (SNR) data include many strong prominent points. This paper presents advantages of using the coherent MapDrift (CMD) technique for precise estimation of radar platform flight parameters, even for low SNR SAR data. To show the advantages, the CMD has been compared with the classical MapDrift (MD) method using the Monte Carlo technique for forward velocity estimation. The Monte Carlo technique has been applied for different SNR levels. The achieved results show, that CMD is characterized by better accuracy of estimated radar platform velocity parameter when compared to traditional MD. Moreover, CMD is characterized by lower standard deviation (STD) and bias of estimated radar platform velocity parameter. The final results lead to the conclusion that even for low SNR SAR data, it is possible to obtain a fully focused image by using the novel CMD technique.