Study of Radar Signatures of Drones Equipped with Threat Payloads

Abstract

Commercial or customised drones with the ability to carry payloads have the potential to cause security threats so the need to accurately detect and identify them with suitable sensors has increased in recent times. Radar sensors are well capable of detecting and classifying a drone by using the unique signatures reduced from both the stationary and rotating parts of the target. In this study we have examined the radar signatures of drones carrying different types of payloads which simulate the following three hazardous scenarios: 1) liquid spray, 2) Inertial forces simulating a gun recoil effect, and 3) heavy payloads. The main objective was to model the radar signatures of these scenarios and analyse the characteristic signatures. Two radars, operating at 24 GHz and 94 GHz, have been used to collect data to validate the modelling. The results of the study demonstrate that the payloads produce unique radar return signals, mainly in the Doppler domain, which can be used for robust classification .

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Apr 30, 2021
Accession Number
AD1151842

Entities

People

  • Adam M. Robertson
  • Duncan A. Robertson
  • Mark A. Govoni
  • Samiur Rahman

Organizations

  • University of St Andrews

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms
  • Autonomy
  • Sensors
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • 5G Wireless Networks
  • Accuracy
  • Biological Weapons
  • Continuous-Wave Radar
  • Data Analysis
  • Detection
  • Detectors
  • Doppler Effect
  • Electrical Engineering
  • Experimental Data
  • Frequency
  • Frequency Shift
  • Manufacturing
  • Measurement
  • Military Research
  • Millimeter Wave Radar
  • Millimeter Waves
  • Neural Networks
  • Physics
  • Propeller Blades
  • Radar
  • Radar Signatures
  • Sensor Fusion

Readers

  • Aerial Unmanned Vehicle Swarm Micro Periodontal Dentistry.
  • Computational Modeling and Simulation
  • Sensor Fusion and Tracking Systems.

Technology Areas

  • Autonomy
  • Autonomy - UAVs