Detection and tracking of micro aerial vehicles with millimeter wave radar

The capability of identifying remote-controlled Micro Aerial Vehicles (MAVs), which pose a growing threat on critical infrastructure areas, is of great importance nowadays. The low cost, the easy handling, and a considerable payload make them an excellent tool for unwanted surveillance or attacks. Most platforms can be equipped with all kind of sensors or, in the worst case, with explosive devices. A typical MAV is able to take off and land vertically, to hover, and in many cases to fly forward with a high speed. Thus, it can reach all kinds of sites in short time while the concealed operator of the MAV is at a remote and riskless place. In this paper we present two possible approaches for perimeter surveillance with radar techniques in the millimeter wave regime. The main task of such radars is to detect movements of targets such as an aerial vehicle approaching a facility. The systems typically monitor a range of several hundred meters with up to 360° coverage and a repetition rate of a few Hertz. The low weight and easy deployable sensors are ideal for various scenarios.