PROSPECTS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF SMALL UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLES AND THE PROBLEM OF THEIR DETECTION

Alexey KOSTIN, Colonel

Georgy SHAIDUROV, Doctor of Technical Sciences, Siberian Federal University

Obvious advantages of modern UAVs have led to their intensive development and mass use in the leading NATO countries. Besides, it is worth paying attention to the widespread use of free-form multi-rotor systems of the so-called multicopters - micro- and mini-UAVs.

The analysis of micro- and mini-UAVs in service shows the increasing role of propelled vehicles, power-planted by internal combustion engines and brushless electric motors. Their ease of operation, high reliability and low cost have become a decisive factor for UAV manufacturers. The use of jet engines of various modifications turned out to be impractical due to their small resource, high fuel consumption, weight and size parameters, as well as high cost in the class of micro- and mini-UAVs.

It is worth noting the active introduction of energy-saving technologies to increase the duration of UAV flights.

In current conditions, UAV detection and destruction has become a serious problem when using small-sized UAVs for various purposes. Here are main features that make micro- and mini-UAVs hardly detectable by existing radars. First of all, it’s their small RCS (0.1-0.001 m2), extremely low flight speeds (0-50 m/s), flights at extremely low altitudes (from 10 to 100 m) using terrain obstacles for stealth flight, automatic flight software control, long-term operation in the troops’ battle formations (up to one day). Detection of micro- and mini-UAVs of this class by ground-based radars is almost impossible, even in a jamming-free environment due to ability of hanging for an unlimited time and the absence or extremely low Doppler frequency additive in the reflected signal. The extremely low altitude of the flight of the devices leads to a complete loss of the signal from the UAV. Their small RCS (0.1-0.001 m2) with the use of radio-absorbing coating and complex geometric shapes impose additional requirements for optimal signal processing.

The conclusion is obvious: the use of UAVs in all levels of armed formations, as well as the range of tasks they solve, will constantly expand. This trend will continue in the coming years. In this regard, it is necessary to adopt a program for the design and development of specialized radars and means of fire destruction of this and future classes of micro- and mini-UAVs. The traditional approach to detecting targets with an RCS of 0.01 m2 or less does not solve the tasks set. Ground reconnaissance stations, as a rule, are specialized for reconnaissance of enemy artillery positions, border protection etc. The authors of the article conducted a number of laboratory studies on the radar detection of UAV models by isolating the frequency harmonics (parametric modulation of the reflected signal) of their propellers, which showed the prospects of this direction¹, and also obtained a patent for this invention².


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1. Фомин А., Шайдуров Г. Энергетическая оценка параметров радиолокатора для обнаружения малых беспилотных летательных аппаратов по частоте вращения винта / Сборник тезисов 2-й Всероссийской научно-технической конференции «Системы связи и радионавигации». 2015. С. 186—189.
2. Патент РФ 2622908 от 21.06.2017. Радиолокационный способ обнаружения летательных аппаратов.

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Published: 09/01/23