Features of information processing in the onboard two-position small-sized radar based on UAVs

Abstract

Currently, small aircraft, including UAVs are widely used for civilian purposes to obtain high-precision maps of the terrain, determining the edge of the land-sea, assessing the state of farmland, classification of observed surfaces, environmental monitoring, and also to detect physical objects and sensors that inform about the state of man-made objects. Onboard small radar located on a small aircraft must provide high resolution as coordinate range so as azimuth coordinate when solving these tasks. However, due to their small size and, consequently, the small aperture of the airborne radar antenna, the provision of high resolution azimuth is problematic, especially in the front viewing area, where it is impossible to use SAR methods. The paper considers with the problem of front and front side view of the earth's surface by a group consisting of two onboard small-size radar station combined into a single information and telecommunication distributed system. Information is exchanged between the equipment of the respective small aircraft via a high-speed radio frequency communication channel. Such a two-position small-sized radar, with appropriate integration of information obtained by spaced sources, allows to overcome the limitations of single-position systems. The paper presents algorithms of information processing in the described two position small radar system, that significantly improves resolution in the azimuthal coordinate in the front and front side zones of review at rather small apertures of the receiving antennas. Shown the requirements for the characteristics of airborne radar and trajectories of small aircraft, allowing to achieve the specified dimensions of the resolution elements on the coordinates of the range-azimuth and, accordingly, to improve the accuracy of the coordinates of the detected physical objects.