Doppler polarimetry in a surveillance radar for the maritime surface picture is considered. This radar must be able to detect low-RCS targets in littoral environments. An overview is given of subjects that are relevant for the system's design. Discussed are: physical phenomena that can be exploited by a coherent polarimetric radar, the effects of seawave masking, strategies to estimate the complex scattering matrix per range Doppler bin, scattering matrix decomposition for target classification and the procedure to assess tbe radar's performance. Results obtained with a coherent polarimetric experimental radar will be discussed in ensuing communications.
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