Comparison of the Mutual Information Content between the Polarimetric Monostatic and Bistatic Measured RCS Data of a 1:25 Boeing 707 Model

Many studies have suggested that a fully polarimetric radar or a bistatic radar can improve the classification and recognition of airborne targets due to enhanced target information. This paper makes use of the information theoretic concept of mutual information (MI) and investigates the comparison of the MI content between polarimetric monostatic and bistatic radar cross section (RCS) measurements of a 1:25 Boeing 707 scale model. It aims to quantify the increases in the MI content, and hence recognition performance, due to the additional reflected signals available in a fully polarimetric radar or in a bistatic scenario.