A Platform Agnostic Low SWaP-C Chirped LFMCW Radar for Counter-UAS Application

Intelligent Fusion Technology, Inc. (IFT) designed a high performance, low SWaP radar system that can be mounted on a group 1 or 2 UAS for counter-UAS applications, on forward observation missions. IFT's innovative radar structure allows the Tx and Rx antennas to co-exist on a small platform without degrading the radar long range performance. With relatively low output power, after applying advanced , power efficient data processing, the airborne radar system can detect a small UAS (-18dBsm RCS) at 1000m distance and track 4 UAS targets simultaneously. The detailed radar track information will allow for timely decisions on how to react to any potential airborne threats. In the Phase I, IFT successfully designed the low SWaP LFMCW radar system structure, built key test boards, and wrote a multiple-target tracking algorithm and a ground clutter suppression algorithm by combining multiple techniques. The in-depth theoretical calculation, simulation and hardware experiment verified the system concept and proved the system performance. In Phase II, we will implement the radar designed in Phase I, test it on the ground, integrate it with a small UAS platform and test it in the air to detect and track single target and multiple targets.