1. A computer implemented method for rejecting false alarms in a plurality of preliminary detected ship candidates, the method comprising: receiving an image including the plurality of preliminary ship candidates; computing intensity and gradient statistics from an image background around each of the preliminary ship candidates; determining a set of thresholds from the computed intensity and gradient statistics; determining an outline and an orientation for each of the preliminary ship candidates, using the computed intensity and gradient statistics; extracting a plurality of features from each of the outlines and orientations of the preliminary ship candidates, wherein the plurality of features includes intensity-based features, gradient-based features, texture-based features and shape-based features; and rejecting false alarms in the plurality of preliminary detected ship candidates using the extracted features and the determined thresholds and statistical distance classifiers.