Integral equation modelling of unmanned aerial vehicle radar scattering characteristics in VHF to S frequency bands

Abstract

Abstract Methods for modelling the radar scattering characteristics of resonance‐size airborne objects containing metallic and dielectric design elements are discussed. The developed algorithms are based on solving Fredholm second‐kind boundary integral equations (IEs) that place them within the context of the method of analytical regularisation. The magnetic field IE is used for metal elements, and the Müller IE set is used for dielectric elements. The proposed algorithms provide important novelties in calculating the radar scattering characteristics of objects with various curvature radii, including electrically thin scatterers. The description is accompanied by an analysis of developed algorithm convergence. For the validation, a comparison of results for model object obtained by different methods is presented. The results of modelling the radar scattering characteristics of an unmanned aerial vehicle and its separate metallic and dielectric elements within the VHF and S frequency bands are demonstrated and discussed.

Keywords

• airborne radar
• boundary integral equations
• electromagnetic wave scattering
• Fredholm integral equations
• autonomous aerial vehicles