Radar Measurements for the Assessment of Features for Drone Characterization

The use of drones grows rapidly, recreational and commercial use, as well as malicious use. Following the trend of increasing use, there is an increasing need for radar systems to detect, track and characterize drones. Drone characterization, i.e., extracting information about the payload and intent of a drone, is crucial for the effective deployment of countermeasures. The micro-Doppler signature is a strong aid in characterization; in particular the rotor rotation rates capture information about a drone's possible payload and whether the payload is released at some point. Radar measurements were performed to evaluate specifically the features suitable for drone characterization. The preliminary results of these measurements are presented.