A statistical model of the effects of angular fluctuations of multi-point scatterer targets on radar detection and tracking performances

A theoretical model of the effects of angular fluctuations of a complex target on radar tracking performance is described in this paper. By the model the probability that the tracking error (or angle noise) due to the angular fluctuations of the target exceeds a certain value specified by the radar designer can be calculated. The novelty of the model consists in the derivation of an analytical formulation of the radar tracking error probability as a function of experimental radar cross section (RCS) statistics of fluctuating Swerling targets [1], of the space distribution of the scatterers in the target area [2], of the probability of target detection, and the radar parameters. The model is used to investigate radar performances in automotive applications.