Gamma mixture models for target recognition

This paper considers a mixture model approach to automatic target recognition using high-resolution radar measurements. The mixture model approach is motivated from several perspectives including requirements that the target classifier is robust to uncertainty in amplitude scaling, rotation and translation of the target. Estimation of the model parameters is achieved using the expectation-maximisation (EM) algorithm. Gamma mixtures are introduced and the re-estimation equations derived. The models are applied to the classification of high-resolution radar range profiles of ships and results compared with a previously published self-organising map approach.