A low complexity STPAP algorithm based on an alternating polarization-sensitive array

Abstract

Abstract Background Space–time adaptive processing (STAP) has been widely used in the fields of communication, radar, and navigation anti-jamming. However, the traditional scalar arrays used with STAP have limitations because they can only obtain spatial information. To improve the performance, joint space–time filtering is proposed using an alternating polarization-sensitive array (APSA). Compared to a dual-polarization sensitive array (DPSA), this array can provide polarization information and reduce the computational complexity. Methods An alternating polarization-sensitive array space–time polarization adaptive processing (APSA-STPAP) algorithm is proposed based on the linear constraint minimum variance (LCMV) criterion. Different from the traditional LCMV criterion, the space–time polarization joint steering vector of the desired and interference signals is used as the constraint matrix, and the “set 1” and “set 0” conditions are used as the constraint conditions to effectively suppress the interference signals and enhance the desired signals. Results Simulation results are presented which show the following. (1) Filtering with the proposed APSA-STPAP algorithm is similar to that with the DPSA-STPAP algorithm. From the perspective of the spatial, time, and polarization domains, it can form nulls in the directions of the interference and realize space–time-polarization adaptive processing. (2) The APSA-STPAP algorithm has lower computational complexity than the DPSA-STPAP algorithm. Moreover, the dipole of the alternating polarization sensitive array is halved, which reduces the coupling effect between electric dipoles and makes implementation easier. (3) The APSA-STPAP algorithm maintains good anti-interference performance even when the electric dipole and anti-jamming degrees of freedom are reduced by half, and the anti-jamming performance is similar to that of a polarization-sensitive array. There is little difference between the anti-interference performance of the APSA-STPAP and DPSA-STPAP algorithms when SNR ≥  − 10 dB.