Multiple detection of a slowly fluctuating target (Corresp.)

A "slowly" fluctuating target is assumed to keep its radar cross section constant for the duration of several dwells on target. To resolve multiple range and/or Doppler ambiguities, the received signal, which is presumably coherently processed (i.e., predetection integrated or matched filtered) over each dwell, must often be tested against a threshold, {em independently} of those on other dwells. Such a procedure is referred to as {em multiple detection}. A technique for the evaluation of a tight lower bound on the multiple-detection probability , under Swerling case I statistics for the cross section, is presented in term of an infinite series and worked out in detail for and . Estimates on the computation error due to the truncation of the series are derived. Numerical results indicate that comes much closer to than to or even to ; at an expected signal-to-noise ratio of dB and at , it obtains that , whereas and .