The role of the course angle in convoy length estimation

Convoys of vehicles moving on the ground can be recognised by means of airborne radar with a real aperture array antenna. The cross-range convoy length can be estimated during tracking. In conjunction with the high resolution range measurement the full convoy length can be obtained provided the direction of convoy motion (course angle) is known. In this paper two additional aspects are covered. It is shown that: 1. the length estimation algorithm can be used to estimate the course angle of a convoy; 2. the algorithm can be used to recognise convoys on bended roads.