Forward-looking imaging method by integrating minimum variance and maximum likelihood spectrum estimation.

Forward-looking imaging technique can be used on phased array radar to detect and track the targets in front of the high speed motion platform. To solve the problem of discriminating the targets in the beamwidth, a forward-looking imaging method by integrating minimum variance and maximum likelihood spectrum estimation is proposed. Firstly, the approach of scanning the beam is used. The initial two-dimensional range-azimuth image is created with minimum variance spectrum estimation. Secondly, the regions in which the amplitude peaks exceed the threshold are searched to implement the second estimation. Simulation results have demonstrated the effectiveness of the approach to improve the targets' resolution capability in the applications involving correlated signals and low signal-to-noise ratios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]