Accurate velocity measurement method for ballistic objects using wideband LFM radar

During the ballistic midcourse terminal phase, the rarefied atmosphere starts to decelerate the light weight decoys. As a result, accurate velocity measurement becomes one of the basic approaches to discriminate ballistic warheads from penetration aids. A novel technique for accurate velocity measurement from wideband linear frequency modulation (LFM) radar signatures is proposed. A least square approach is applied to estimate the object velocity using phase difference of the received intermediate frequency returned signals. In the cases of lower signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), constant false alarm rate (CFAR) detection and morphological filtering are subsequently adopted to suppress the noise, improve the robustness and further enhance the velocity accuracy. Numerical simulation and analysis for dynamic radar signatures of a typical ballistic object is conducted. Simulation results validate the effectiveness of the proposed method.