A Bistatic SAR Image Intensity Model for the Composite Ship–Ocean Scene

Based on the scattering mechanisms of multipath, a bistatic synthetic aperture radar (Bis-SAR) image intensity model for the composite ship-ocean (or other metallic targets with ocean) scene is developed in this paper through reasonably dealing with the path lengths of transmitter and receiver to the ship target. To get a Bis-SAR image intensity model for the composite ship-ocean scene, the Bis-SAR image intensity distribution for the ocean surface is analyzed, and the facet scattering model is used to give the individual returns from separate facets. In addition, the influence of velocity bunching (VB) modulation of long ocean waves on the distribution of radar cross section is also discussed. Finally, Bis-SAR imagery simulations of ocean wave and the composite ship-ocean scene are illustrated, and the results show that the proposed Bis-SAR image intensity model can be reasonable and the interaction effects between the ship and sea surface can make significant contributions to the Bis-SAR intensity.