Exploiting COSMO-SkyMed spotlight SAR images for GMTI applications

The focus of the paper is on the exploitation of COSMO-SkyMed (CSK) spotlight SAR images for Ground Moving Target Indication (GMTI). To this purpose two moving target detection schemes are considered: the first is based on a bank of Chirp Scaling Algorithms (CSAs), each one matched to a different relative speed between the radar antenna and the target, and the second is based on Change Detection (CD) applied to sub-images obtained by splitting the overall aperture into sub-apertures. The application of the techniques to Single Look Complex (SLC) CSK spotlight SAR images shows the feasibility of a GMTI mode able to extract medium/high radar cross section moving targets even for single channel spaceborne systems.