Performance Prediction Modelling for Maritime Radar

This seminar describes how sea clutter models are used in the prediction of radar detection performance. Such modelling may be required at various stages in the design cycle of a radar or to make accurate performance predictions at the proposal stage of a new design, for the purposes of marketing and to make comparisons with competing systems. As a radar design develops, alternative solutions may be proposed and performance prediction modelling will play an important role in comparing their relative merits. When a radar is to be delivered to a customer, it will usually be necessary to demonstrate its performance.

Measuring the detection performance of a maritime radar is extremely difficult and modelling will inevitably play an important role, allowing trial results to be interpreted in the light of predicted performance in the prevailing conditions. For these results to have value, the radar analyst must have confidence in their accuracy. If an analytic modelling approach is taken, considerable attention to detail is required to understand and model the radar operation over a wide range of environmental conditions and viewing geometries. The models must also be able to accurately represent the effects of the radar waveforms and processing on the received signals. This level of modelling can also provide guidance on the appropriate configuration of the radar in different operational scenarios.