Motion Trajectory Information in the ISAR Imaging Process

Inverse Synthetic Aperture Radar (ISAR) is a technique to image moving targets by radar. In many cases the target motion components are unknown and have to be estimated. In addition to producing an ISAR image, motion trajectory information is needed to ensure that the imaging radar system is capable of continuously recording the High Range Resolution Profiles (HRRP) of the target. This paper discusses the motion information requirements for different imaging techniques and presents a method that uses tracking information to obtain target motion parameters which are important for the imaging procedure and the subsequent image interpretation. The presented studies focus on imaging aircraft targets using pulsed monostatic radar systems.