Limits of target tracking in heavy clutter

The Integrated Track Splitting (ITS) filter is an advanced method for automatic target tracking in clutter. The track trajectory state probability density function (pdf) is approximated by a mixture of track component pdfs. The track state includes a track quality measure (the probability of target texistence) which is used to discriminate between true and false tracks. This paper investigates the feasible limits of target tracking (False Track Discrimination) in heavy clutter and low probability of detection. Relationship between the False Track Discrimination performance and the component control parameters is part of the investigation, thus some practical guidelines for ITS filter design are also provided. The tradeoffs between performance and computational resources are indicated, allowing for the proper design of ITS filter and hardware resourcing.