An auto-adaptive system is provided that includes a template builder that allows weighted templates to be created for computing auto-adaptive features, an auto-adaptive event locator that analyzes a data set to identify events, an event extractor that locates and extracts identified events and provides events for review by an event analyzer (operator or programmed module) to distinguish clutter data from target data, and an auto-adaptive risk analyzer that processes data related to hit rates, false alarm rates, alarm costs, and risk factors to determine return on investment information and receiver operator characteristic curves.