TRMC: A single processing chain for SAR/ISAR imaging

A single algorithm for various radar imaging applications is presented. The idea behind the proposed approach is that any motion between a radar and an imaged target can be modelled as the composition of pure translational and rotational components. Novel techniques for estimating and compensating these two motion components are discussed and their application to real radar data for different classes of targets (ships, aircrafts, ground) is presented. The proposed processing chain yields good results in a wide class of airborne air to surface, air to air or surface to surface applications especially in cases characterised by evident variation of the rotation-rate during the Coherent Processing Time (CPT) considered for imaging The simplicity of the proposed algorithms (mostly based on FFT and phasor multiplication) makes them suitable and convenient for real-time applications even for compact and low weight radar systems to be fitted onboard UAV or other airborne platforms.