Drone detection feasibility with passive radars

Abstract

Drones are considered an important threat for critical infrastructures, and for people in crowded environments, because they can carry explosives, chemicals, or biological agents, cameras, etc. Passive radars are emerging sensor technologies that use non-cooperative illuminators instead of a dedicated transmitter. This feature makes them attractive candidates due to the absence of transmitted power. In this work, the viability of passive radars for detecting drone-like targets has been studied. Theoretical coverage studies based on bistatic radar cross section simulations and complex propagation models predict the possibility of drone detection with passive radars. Theoretical results have been validated with real experiments using the IDEPAR demonstrator, developed at the University of Alcalá.