Starting from numerical simulation and comparative analysis of different polarimetric detector algorithms using the proposed Gain of Detectability measure, this paper has validated the feasibility and accuracy of polarimetric detectors in scenarios with homogeneous clutter. These algorithms’ application to real radar data with non-homogeneous clutter also shows that detection quality can be seriously improved using detectors that use a priori knowledge of the expected target and clutter polarimetric characteristics. A new application of the Polarimetric Whitening Filter and the Optimal Polarimetric Detector for the classification/mapping of targets and ground-based clutter has been proposed and demonstrated.@en