Target Detection Method for Intensity VHF Wavelength-Resolution SAR Images

This paper presents a detection method for intensity very-high frequency (VHF) wavelength-resolution synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images. The method is based on the likelihood-ratio test, considering a bivariate exponential distribution for the tested hypothesis. A common image is used for obtaining two difference images, one considering a surveillance image and another, a reference image. The method uses the difference images to reduce the number of false alarms related to strong scatterers not related to targets. The method is assessed through received operational curves with VHF ultrawideband SAR images obtained by the CARABAS II system. The experimental results reveal the potential of the proposed approach compared with other detection methods.