Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Radar Visibility Estimation Procedure During the Flight Test

Abstract

The calculation and accurate determination of the main indicator of radar visibility - radar cross-section is a complex problem for which theoretical and experimental methods have been developed.
 Theoretical methods for determining the radar cross-section at this time are quite accurate, but the priority area of research is still to determine the radar cross-section by the experimental method.
 One of such practical methods for determining the radar cross-section is a model (and for small unmanned aerial vehicles - full-scale) experiment in a anechoic screened chamber, but this experiment does not take into account the propagation properties of radio wave in real conditions.
 The most reliable characteristics of the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) radar visibility are obtained in a full- scale experiment during a testing ground experiment by test flight.
 Determination of the radar cross-section by the test flight method is carried out in real conditions under the influence of all available factors for the radio detection and location, methods of its processing, the presence of spurious reflection, the real jamming environment.
 A signals training area is used as a test range. A signals training area is an spatial region (sector of the terrain) where the instrumentation radar set and certain spatio measuring points arе located and the signal-noise-rate of the radar sеt receive path is measured when the unmanned aerial vehicle to be in the spatio measuring points.
 It should be noted that any radar set can be used as a instrumentation radar set, subject to conformity with the measurement accuracy meets the specified requirements.
 Given the above, the UAV radar visibility evaluation procedure during testing ground experiment by test flight allows to determine the radar cross-section in the absence of a perfect measuring system and provides a high level of measurement accuracy.