Target tracking in maneuver-centered coordinates

Aircraft targets normally maneuver on circular paths, which has led to tracking filters based on circular turns. A coordinate system to track circular maneuvers with a simple Kalman filter is introduced. This system is a polar coordinate system located at the center of the maneuver. It leads to a tracking filter with range, angle, and angular velocity in the state vector. Simulation results are presented, showing that the algorithm displays improved performance over methods based on constant x-y acceleration when tracking circular turns.>