Detection of Small UAS with W-band Radar

M. Caris*, W. Johannes*, S. Sieger*, V. Port*, S. Stanko*

*
Fraunhofer Institute for High Frequency Physics and Radar Techniques FHR
Fraunhoferstr. 20, 53343 Wachtberg, GERMANY
email: michael.caris@fhr.fraunhofer.de

Abstract: The detection and defense of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) is becoming
increasingly important for the protection of public and private areas. The low cost of
micro- and mini-drones, the easy handling, and a considerable payload make them an
excellent tool for unwanted surveillance or attacks. The platforms can be equipped with
all kind of sensors or, in the worst case, with explosive devices. On the other hand, the
size, material, and flight characteristics of these micro aerial vehicles is not
advantageous for their detection with any kind of sensor. Therefore, great efforts are
needed to ensure reliable detection, localization, tracking, and classification of the low,
small, and slow systems.
In this paper, we demonstrate that W-band radar is capable of detecting small drones in
realistic scenarios, including 3D-localization. In addition, classification of a target is
possible by means of Micro-Doppler analysis. As a matter of fact, improved information
can be achieved when combining the radar with supplementary sensors, like electro-
optical, infrared, and acoustical. However, in challenging scenarios, e.g. smoky, foggy,
or loud environments, most sensors are overtaxed and the potential of radar can be fully
exploited. Under certain conditions, radar would be the only applicable alternative for a
dependable detection of UAS.
FMCW-radar (Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave) in the millimeter wave regime is
typically very compact, lightweight and requires only low power. Thus, it is easily
deployable in various surveillance scenarios and safety applications. The range coverage
of several hundred meters is, in the majority of cases, sufficient and the available update
rates are far beyond the requirements of drone detection.

1. Introduction
Recent incidents (e.g. [1], [2]) show the necessity to protect critical infrastructure areas
against unauthorized Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) comprising the group of multicopters.
These drones are able to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to move in all directions
with a comparatively high speed. Thus, it can reach all kinds of sites in short time while the
concealed operator is at a remote and riskless place. The payload of some platforms is
sufficient to carry different kinds of sensors and, in the worst case, explosive devices.
Therefore, micro- and mini-drones pose a growing threat of unwanted surveillance or attacks.
Furthermore, the low-cost COTS (Commercial Off-The-Shelf) can be easily obtained and
handled by an untrained person.
The detection, particular with regard to classification, is a complex and difficult task [3]. In
fact, electro-optical, infrared and acoustical sensors are suited for this purpose, but
encountering challenging scenarios, like smoky, foggy, or loud environments, they are
quickly pushed to their limits. Compared to the visible and infrared spectrum, electromagnetic
waves in the millimeter wave region exhibit only low absorption due to rain, fog, smoke, and
dust. As an active sensor, radar is also independent of external illuminators.

The 18th International Radar Symposium IRS 2017, June 28-30, 2017, Prague, Czech Republic
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978-3-7369-9343-3 ©2017 DGON
In this paper, we will focus on W-band radar systems, which are excellent instruments for
surveillance applications especially under challenging visibility conditions. The advantages of
the millimeter wave regime are the ability to be sensitive for small object structures and the
insignificant effects of multipath scattering. An additional benefit is the very compact design
of the radar-frontends, which makes them very flexible at use.
The sensor presented in this work provides a wide RF bandwidth going along with high range
resolution enabling not only the detection of objects in the perimeter but also a signature
analysis.
For the 3D-localization of a possible threat in the monitored sector the knowledge of distance
(up to several hundred meters) and aspect angle (azimuth and elevation) is essential. Either a
scanning radar sensor (mechanically or electronically) or a static multi-channel sensor with
mono-pulse processing can be applied for this purpose. Further information on the detected
target can be obtained from the Doppler spectrum and RCS (Radar Cross Section) analysis,
which sheds light on the object’s motion and signature. Valuable information to classify for
instance a multicopter can be gained from the (Micro-) Doppler caused by the motion of the
rotors or other vibrations; this is also important to distinguish between man-made objects and
avifauna.

2. W-band radar
The Multi-Channel Radar for Perimeter Surveillance (MuRPS) is a FMCW-radar (Frequency
Modulated Continuous Wave) with a transmit power of 100 mW at a center frequency of
94 GHz ([4], [5]). The radar bandwidth is 1 GHz resulting in a range resolution of about
15 cm. A very low phase noise is achieved by using a DDS-chip in combination with a high
performance local oscillator for the signal generation (linear frequency ramp – chirp). Using
this technique the radar is fully coherent, which is important, to ensure that not only one chirp
is coherent, but also a sequence of chirps behaves in the same way. This is a prerequisite for
integrating weak signals over several chirps. The output of the frequency generation module
is between 15.6 GHz and 15.8 GHz. Subsequently, this signal is applied to the high frequency
(HF) block, comprising the frequency multiplier (sixtupler) [6], the high power amplifier
(HPA) with +21 dBm output power and the four mixers with an integrated low noise
amplifier (LNA). These components were developed and fabricated by the Fraunhofer
Institute for Applied Solid State Physics (IAF in Freiburg, Germany) [7]. A block diagram of
the radar frontend is depicted in Fig. 1.
FMCW-radar typically requires only moderate transmit power compared to a pulsed system.
However, the transmission power allows for a range of several hundred meters (in the W-
band), while the emitted power is far below that of a common cell phone and, therefore,
hazard-free for persons in the direct surroundings. The very compact, lightweight, and low
power systems (radar-frontend: ~ 30 W @ 12 V) go along with a high mobility.
MuRPS comes with four receiving channels and a sophisticated antenna design, enabling the
localization of objects with good spatial resolution by means of mono-pulse processing. The
azimuth and elevation coverage depends on the employed antenna configuration and the
respective scenario; a typical value is 30° in both directions for the single sensor. The system
is designed to cover distances from about 5 m up to several hundred meters (depending on the
target’s RCS) using different types of chirps on an alternating basis. The sophisticated
receiver of the radar frontend with a low noise figure also facilitates the detection of very
small objects with low RCS ( 0.01 m²). Taking advantage of the Doppler-Effect (up and
down FMCW-chirps) also the determination of the target’s velocity and flight direction is

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possible. A photo of the radar frontend, showing the convertible setup of the receiving
antennas, is given in Fig. 2.

Figure 1. Schematic block diagram of the Multi-Channel Radar for Perimeter Surveillance (MuRPS).

Figure 2. Left: The Multi-Channel Radar for Perimeter Surveillance (MuRPS). Four-channel (receiver) radar
system operated at a center frequency of 94 GHz.
Right: Side view of MuRPS with quadrocopter in the background.

3. Measurements and Results

We present measurements with the Multi-Channel Radar for Perimeter Surveillance
demonstrating the detection abilities using the example of a quadrocopter (see Fig. 2). Fig. 3
displays the detection of a DJI Phantom drone recorded with the four receiver channels of
MuRPS.

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 Figure 3. Detection of the quadrocopter by applying MuRPS (Multi-Channel Radar for Perimeter Surveillance).
Waterfall-chart for all receiver channels showing the target distance over time (chirps). The data was recorded
with a 85 µs FMCW-chirp and a bandwidth of 1 GHz.

Figure 4. Detection of the quadrocopter by applying MuRPS (Multi-Channel Radar for Perimeter Surveillance).
The IF-spectrum for one chirp is displayed for the four receiver channels; the SNR is better than 9 dB in all
channels. In this measurement, the target was in a distance of 18 m, mainly in the direction of antenna three.

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The antennas of the receive channels one and two are inclined 15° up- and downwards,
respectively, compared to the horizontal plane. The antennas three and four are tilted to the
right and left, respectively, at the same angle. The transmitting antenna is not tilted compared
to the horizontal and vertical plane and has a larger beam width to illuminate the complete
scene.
The diagrams of Fig. 3 depict the distance of the quadrocopter over time (chirp count). The
applied FMCW-chirp length was 85 µs and covered a bandwidth of 1 GHz, resulting in a
range resolution of 15 cm. The color code represents the RCS of the detected UAS. It can be
assumed that the RCS of the quadrocopter i.a. strongly depends on its horizontal rotation
angle, which is influenced by the direction of flight and environmental effects (e.g. wind).
Therefore, the RCS-analysis provides only difficult to interpret information on the target (e.g.
size, weight, payload, etc.).
Fig. 4 demonstrates that even a small aerial vehicle, like a quadrocopter, mostly consisting of
plastic parts, is detectable with a good SNR in the 94 GHz regime. However, it is clear that
using 100 mW output power the detection range is quite limited for these small objects with a
RCS less than 0.1 m². The theoretical considerations for MuRPS, confirmed by the
experimental results, indicate that a distance of about 100 m is realistic to detect a small UAS
with a sufficient SNR at a basis of only one FMCW-chirp (mono-pulse). With coherent
integration of several chirps, the range can possibly be increased up to 300 m and more; to do
so the range-cell-migration has to be considered and the radar should determine the velocity
of the target by means of the Doppler-spectrum.
The azimuth and elevation angle can be determined by applying the raw-data from the four
receiver channels to a mono-pulse processing. In combination with the radar range, a 3D-
localization with only a single measurement (one chirp) is enabled. Thus, the information is
updated with the rate of the chirp, typically in the range of several kHz, which is more than
sufficient for this kind of application. The precision of the mono-pulse principle depends on
the antenna configuration (tilting angle and beam width) and is with the current setup of
MuRPS in the range of a few degrees.

3. Conclusion
The results, presented in the paper, demonstrate the capability of the used hardware and
clearly show the potential in terms of UAS detection. W-band radar can make substantial
contribution to avoid the growing threats from low, small, and slow aerial vehicles. However,
further improvements are needed for an operational UAS-detection radar system in the W-
band.
In future work, more efforts have to be targeted on enhancing the signal to noise ratio and by
this means increasing the detection range. Furthermore, a functional counter UAS system
requires a real-time processing and target tracking. Not least, the implementation of an
additional CW-channel (continuous wave) could help to facilitate a better Micro-Doppler
extraction and analysis from the radar data.

References
[1] “Mini-Drone Incident Shows Security Failings”, http://www.spiegel.de, 20 September 2013.
[2] “Drone hits plane at Heathrow airport”, http://www.theguardian.com, 17 April 2016.

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