Comparison of the Kalman and alpha beta filters for the tracking of targets using phased array radar

Instrument noise can significantly affect the accurate tracking of targets with radar. This problem can be alleviated by applying either the Kalman or alpha beta filter to the data. Various tracking algorithms based on these filters have been developed and such algorithms are now used in an operational environment. The authors have extended the work of Cohen (1986) by applying the algorithms to a variety of target tracks using Monte Carlo simulations and testing various criteria for choosing the update time, Munu et al. (1992) and Wilkin et al. (1991). There have been a considerable amount of success in applying the algorithm due to Cohen to the simulated data.