Target modelling for SAR image simulation

This paper examines target models that might be used in simulations of Synthetic Aperture Radar imagery. We examine the basis for scattering phenomena in SAR, and briefly review the Swerling target model set, before considering extensions to this set discussed in the literature. Methods for simulating and extracting parameters for the extended Swerling models are presented. It is shown that in many cases the more elaborate extended Swerling models can be represented, to a high degree of fidelity, by simpler members of the model set. Further, it is shown that it is quite unlikely that these extended models would be selected when fitting models to typical data samples.