A Novel Structural‐Shared Antenna for UAV Direction Retrodirective and Satellite‐Integrated UAV Communication Applications

A novel pure metal structural‐shared antenna for unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is proposed in this paper, enabling inter‐UAV and UAV‐satellite communication while featuring radar wave retrodirective capability for enhanced detection. The measured operating bandwidth of this antenna reaches 80.6%, with a maximum measured in‐band gain of approximately 5.2 dB and 94% radiation efficiency. By incorporating a corner reflector structure, compared to a metal plate of the same area, the antenna exhibits significantly enhanced radar cross section (RCS) backscatter effects at millimeter‐wave radar detection frequencies of 24 and 77 GHz, maintaining values above 15 and 20 dB, respectively. The antenna employs a cost‐effective pure metal fabrication process and has been designed and adjusted to ensure omnidirectional radiation across a broadband range through dual resonance points. Experimental validation has confirmed its exceptional performance, demonstrating its potential in UAV communications and radar detection applications.