Fundamental field evaluations of radio-over-fiber connected 96 GHz millimeter-wave radar for airport surface foreign object debris detection

Debris on the airport surface such as on runways may cause severe damage to aircraft. To detect these obstacles, we have been developing a radio-over-fiber (RoF) connected foreign object debris detection 96 GHz millimeter-wave radar system. This paper discusses the fundamental field evaluations of the developed RoF based radar system at Sendai Airport. The radar transmission signal is delivered to the radar antenna unit using optical fibers more than 1,000 m in length. The measurement results confirm the radar target detection on the runway.