Experimental Analysis of a Clutter Suppression Algorithm for High Time-Bandwidth Noise Radar

Noise-like, continuous waveforms have several benefits for radar operation, such as low probability of interception/identification. However, the same types of waveforms come with a significant drawback because strong signals, e.g., ground clutter, produce a correlation noise floor (CNF) that masks all weak signals. In this article, we report on the implementation and performance of an efficient clutter suppression algorithm used to suppress strong clutter echoes and allow for the detection of weaker signals. The algorithm’s performance is verified using an experimental system with a time-bandwidth product of 70 dB at a centre frequency of 1.3 GHz. Application of the algorithm suppresses the CNF by over 30 dB, allowing for the detection of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV).