Passive radar using Global System for Mobile communication signal: theory, implementation and measurements

Passive radars using illuminators of opportunity have attracted much attention in the international radar community. One existing radio transmission system that may be utilised for this purpose is the Global System for Mobile communication (GSM). This paper presents a study showing the feasibility of using a GSM signal for passive radar. The analysis of the GSM waveform, and any significance or influence it has with respect to the passive radar design considerations are investigated in detail. The paper describes fully the design and implementation of a low-cost GSM-based passive radar prototype in addition to the associated signal processing scheme. Numerous measurements for various ground-moving targets were investigated extensively. The preliminary processing results demonstrate the feasibility of using GSM signals as a radar waveform and have the potential capability to detect and track different types of ground-moving targets.