GLRT-based adaptive detection algorithms for range-spread targets

We address adaptive detection of a range-spread target or targets embedded in Gaussian noise with unknown covariance matrix. To this end, we assume that cells (referred to in the following as secondary data) that are free of signal components are available. Those secondary data are supposed to possess either the same covariance matrix or the same structure of the covariance matrix of the cells under test. In this context, we design detectors relying on the generalized likelihood ratio test (GLRT) and on a two-step GLRT-based design procedure. Remarkably, both criteria lead to receivers ensuring the constant false alarm rate (CFAR) property with respect to the unknown quantities. A thorough performance assessment of the proposed detection strategies, together with the evaluation of their processing cost, highlights that the two-step design procedure is to be preferred with respect to the plain GLRT. In fact, the former leads to detectors that achieve satisfactory performance under several situations of practical interest and are simpler to implement than those designed resorting to the latter.