■ This article recounts the development of radar signal processing at Lincoln Laboratory. The Laboratory’s significant efforts in this field were initially driven by the need to provide detected and processed signals for air and ballistic missile defense systems. The first processing work was on the Semi-Automatic Ground Environment (SAGE) air-defense system, which led to algorithms and techniques for detection of aircraft in the presence of clutter. This work was quickly followed by processing efforts in ballistic missile defense, first in surface-acoustic-wave technology, in concurrence with the initiation of radar measurements at the Kwajalein Missile Range, and then by exploitation of the newly evolving technology of digital signal processing, which led to important contributions for ballistic missile defense and Federal Aviation Administration applications. More recently, the Laboratory has pursued the computationally challenging application of adaptive processing for the suppression of jamming and clutter signals. This article discusses several important programs in these areas.

Radar Signal Processing

The paper presents a brief biographical note about the moving target detector (MTD) radar, the evolution from multiple antenna surveillance radar up to the designs to overcome the limitations of the existing moving target indicator radar

The moving target detector

: The moving target detector (MTD) II is a sophisticated signal processor designed to provide improved radar detection of aircraft in the air traffic control environment, particulary in areas of heavy radar clutter. The MTD II was installed on one channel of the FPS-67B en route surveillance radar at Bedford, Virginia. The objective of this testing was to compare the operational performance of the MTD II with that of the common digitizer (CD) operating with the other channel. This report covers performance relative to percentage of target detection, false alarm rate, interference reduction, processor improvement factor, subclutter visibility, system dynamic range, velocity response, and flight testing of the MTD II and CD equipped radar channels. The results of the test show that the MTD II provides performance superior to that of the CD. (Author)

En Route Moving Target Detector (MTD) II Test and Evaluation.

: The moving target detector (MTD) terminal radar processor system was evaluated to determine its capability to provide radar data suitable for utilization by the Automated Radar Terminal System. The major objective of testing was to compare the target detection in clutter performance of the MTD system with that of the best terminal radar processor system in the FAA inventory. The comparative tests were conducted using test signals and flight test aircraft. The test signals were used to determine false alarm rates, probability of detection, accuracy, velocity response, and subclutter visibility capabilities. Flight testing was performed to determine subclutter visibility, subweather visibility, and target resolution capabilities. Additional tests were performed to determine the compatibility of the MTD processor with terminal radar systems currently in use in the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The results of the tests demonstrated that the MTD system capability to detect targets in a clutter environment was much better than that of present FAA systems. It effectively eliminated all clutter experienced in the National Aviation Facilities Experimental Center (NAFEC) radar environment. The MTD processor is compatible with present FAA radar systems. (Author)

https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/pdfs/ADA047887.pdf

William Goodchild

Papers

Test and evaluation of the Moving Target Detector (MTD) radar