Upper Bounds on Processing Loss for Wideband, Long-CPI Space-Time Adaptive Processing

The combination of synthetic aperture radar (SAR) and space-time adaptive processing (STAP) for moving target indication (MTI) radar applications allows the use of long, potentially sparse arrays, wide bandwidths, and long coherent processing intervals (CPIs), all of which enable detection of a greater variety of targets than is possible with traditional systems. In this paper upper bounds on the signal-to-interference-plus-noise (SINR) loss are derived for post-SAR processing in the presence of three types of impairments: internal clutter motion, volumetric clutter and antenna backlobes. These bounds are important for both the design and assessment of this type of MTI system, as impairments such as these can influence the entire system architecture.