Multi-Timeslot Wide-Gap Frequency-Hopping RFPA Signal and Its Sidelobe Suppression

Random frequency and pulse repetition interval agile (RFPA) signals have excellent anti-jamming ability and achieve low probability of intercept (LPI), making them promising for applications in radar systems. However, their matched filter (MF) outputs suffer from random range-velocity sidelobes. In the range dimension, these sidelobes can be classified into two categories: the distant sidelobe floor spread out beyond the minimum interval between pulses, and the near sidelobe plateau confined within about one pulsewidth. These sidelobes seriously degrade the target detection capability of RFPA signals. To address this issue, we propose the concept of a multi-timeslot wide-gap frequency-hopping sequence (multi-timeslot WGFHS) and use it in the design of RFPA signals. In doing so, the distant sidelobes are easily suppressed with a simple low-pass filter (LPF) in the receiver if the parameters of the multi-timeslot WGFHS are chosen properly, while the remaining near sidelobes are suppressed by the iterative adaptive approach based on matched filter outputs (MF-IAA). Simulation results show that the proposed method can effectively suppress the sidelobes of RFPA signals, accurately recover the range-velocity images, and successfully detect weak targets in the presence of strong targets or clutter.