Emerging Trends in Radar: 3D Inverse Synthetic Aperture Radar

Inverse synthetic aperture radar (ISAR) is a technique used to image noncooperative targets, allowing them to be subsequently classified. However, the quality of ISAR imagery and hence the ability to correctly classify a target is dependent on the target motion and the relative geometry between the target and the radar platform. 3D ISAR is an alternate imaging approach that produces a 3D point cloud and offers great potential for improved target classification. This article summarizes a number of advancements in 3D ISAR, including new image formation techniques, the use of drones for imaging, and approaches for performing classification of the 3D point clouds.