CASSIDIAN multiband mobile passive radar system

Passive radar techniques lead to an entirely new class of radiolocation systems, i.e. Passive Coherent Location (PCL). These systems use the omnipresent signals from non-cooperative broadcast transmitters, e.g. FM, DAB or DVB-T, as illuminators. By receiving and processing the signals reflected at target objects in the airspace, it is possible to establish a completely passive air surveillance system. The technical maturity and detection performance of experimental and prototype system implementations is steadily improving. Starting out from FM-broadcast-based systems, the step to DAB-based and DVB-T-based systems has now been made. In this paper, a recently built mobile passive radar system exploiting FM, DAB and DVB-T transmitters is introduced. The passive radar vehicle possesses an integrated antenna mast system and accommodates the radar equipment as well as space for operators and potential customers. In the following the basic system concept is introduced and first measurement results are presented.