Multispectral Detection of Commercial Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

The fight against unmanned vehicles is nothing new; however, especially with the arrival of new technologies that are easily accessible for the wider population, new problems are arising. The deployment of small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) by paramilitary organizations during conflicts around the world has become a reality, non-lethal "paparazzi" actions have become a common practice, and it is only a matter of time until the population faces lethal attacks. The basic prerequisite for direct defense against attacking UAVs is their detection. The authors of this paper analysed the possibility of detecting flying aircraft in several different electro-magnetic spectrum bands. Firstly, methods based on calculations and simulations were chosen, and experiments in laboratories and measurements of the exterior were subsequently performed. As a result, values of the radar cross section (RCS), the noise level, the surface temperature, and optical as well as acoustic traces of tested devices were quantified. The outputs obtained from calculated, simulated, and experimentally detected values were found via UAV detection distances using specific sensors working in corresponding parts of the frequency spectrum.