Abstract
The article addresses distortions in synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images caused by the non-linear motion of the radar platform. Such motion, often due to navigation errors, environmental factors, or maneuvering, introduces Doppler frequency components into the received signal. These distortions lead to reduced image intensity and multiple displaced replicas of objects along the flight path. Analytical and simulation results show intensity can drop to 45% of the undistorted value, with object replicas appearing at regular intervals related to Doppler shift and system parameters. To counter this, the paper proposes a method that estimates Doppler components and applies a time-dependent phase correction via numerical integration. This correction is implemented before standard SAR processing and does not require precise knowledge of the platform’s trajectory. The study has a predominantly theoretical character, and the validation of the proposed method was carried out exclusively through numerical simulations without the use of real experimental data. Simulations show that with up to 20% estimation error, image intensity is restored to 85% and artifacts are suppressed. The method is efficient, practical, and compatible with existing SAR systems.