Studies on carrier-free (or ultra-wideband) radar performance under clutter and stealth-target environments

This thesis is concerned with the use of ultra-wideband radar detection specific to the following target and background considerations. (1) Statistical attributes of the RCS models of stealth-targets illuminated by ultra-wideband radars. (2) Analysis of radar echo signatures of low flying stealth-targets with a background of sea-clutter and illuminated by an ultra-wideband radar. (3) Analysis of impulse echoes from simple (planar) surface(s) coated with a radar absorbing material (RAM). The first problem refers to the elucidation of Swerling-Marcum type classifications of RCS fluctuation(s) to characterize the stochastical aspects of the echoes from stealth-targets illuminated by an impulse from an ultra-wideband radar. In the second analysis, performance of a radar receiver configuration, using the log-likelihood function of the signal received from a stealth target flying at low altitude over the sea-surface is predicted. The third effort addressed provides analytical representations in time-domain of echoes from planar surface(s) coated with RAM's for normal incidence of ultra-wideband short pulse illumination.