Validation of windblown radar ground clutter spectral shape

We investigate the robustness of the linear matched filter (MF) operating i n a Gaussian environment in the presence of a mismatch between the design c lutter-power spectral density (PSD) shape and the actual one. The Gaussian, the power-law (PL), and the double-exponential spectral models have been c onsidered with the goal of investigating which one fits best for windblown foliage, We analyze the MF performance in terms of improvement factor, prob ability of false alarm, and probability of detection by making use of the t heoretical models and measured X-band ground clutter data. The numerical re sults validate the double-exponential spectral model for windblown foliage by showing that the differences in performance prediction between using mea sured clutter data and modeled clutter data of various spectral shapes (viz ,, Gaussian, FL, and double-exponential) are minimized when the spectral mo del employed is of double-exponential shape.