Parametric analysis of ballistic target-tracking problem by multiple model approach

Radar tracking of a ballistic target is a topic presenting very complex issues especially when the characteristics of the objects flying into the Earth’s atmosphere are poorly known. As the target identification is required to obtain good performance, a technique frequently employed in the practical applications is the multiple model filter. This study, thought the increasing interest for this class of estimators, aims to identify the key parameters of the problem by making recognisable their effects on the solution. Thus – along with the ideal operative conditions – the relative geometry target-sensor, the presence of missing plots, the measurement uncertainties and the credibility of filter predictions are investigated. In order to have a strict benchmark of evaluation the multiple model approach performance is compared with the optimal estimate given by posterior Cramér–Rao lower bounds.