Improved active sonar detection using autoregressive prewhiteners

An active sonar receiver is proposed that more closely approximates the optimal prewhitener and matched filter receiver than currently existing active sonars. The prewhitener is based on an autoregressive model for the reverberation that is shown through analysis of real data to be an accurate model. At the output of the prewhitener a generalized likelihood ratio test detector is implemented. Experimental range-Doppler maps of real data demonstrate that low-Doppler targets are more easily detected than with current FFT processors.