Radar Target Identification and Tracking Algorithm for Active and Hybrid Homing Missiles

The present paper proposes a new method for the identification of radar targets by active and hybrid homing missiles seeking for fighter jet aircrafts. The proposed procedure depends on the signature formed by the internal resonances of the cavity-backed apertures existing as the air-inlet and exhaust-outlet pipes of the jet engine. These pipes are modeled as open ended conducting cylindrical tubes of practical dimensions with radial conducting blades placed inside the cylindrical cavity. A compressed radar pulse is formed by chirping using linear frequency modulation (LFM) to cover the frequency band 1.0 – 2.0 GHz that is wide enough to distinguish between various targets. The radar cross section (RCS) as a function of the frequency is obtained through electromagnetic simulation using the CST® simulator and employing the pipe model and the pulsed plane wave mentioned above. The proposed target identification algorithm is mathematically described and numerically applied to identify different targets. The numerical examinations show that the proposed algorithm succeeds to take the correct decision regarding the target identification by active and hybrid homing missiles.