Experimental passive radar systems using digital illuminators (DAB/DVB-T)

With the distribution of digital broadcast networks in Germany the development of passive radar experimental and demonstrator systems at FGAN has concentrated on exploiting these digital illuminators for passive radar target detection. Passive radar systems for digital audio broadcast (DAB) as well as for terrestrial digital video broadcast (DVB-T) have been built and are being used for the analysis of passive radar detection capabilities using digital illuminations. Signal processing is focused on the reconstruction of the clean transmitted signal and on its correlation with the target echoes. Currently one passive radar experimental system using DVB-T and a passive radar demonstrator for the exploitation of DAB and DVB-T signals are being used at FGAN-FHR for passive radar performance evaluation. A third demonstrator for DVB-T is under development. Measurements of low flying, low RCS targets such as small commercial airplanes have indicated in principle the detection capabilities of passive radar techniques using digital illuminators. The specific properties of single-frequency-networks, which are applied in digital broadcast system in Germany are respected by adapted signal processing and correlation techniques and require extensive track processing. Further field trials are scheduled in order to analyse the performance of passive radar systems under different environmental conditions. Figures shows sketches of system layouts, plats of measured data and images, and photographs of hardware such as antennae and measuring platforms such as trucks.