Stealth technology usually focuses on how to hide from enemy radars, but there is also the opposite, less explored option of generate false signals. An innovation in electronic warfare that has been developed by a group of researchers in China. This technology seeks deceive operators radar making them believe that a drone equipped with a radar reflector, a device that is similar in size to an iPad, is an unidentified flying object as big as a sports stadium. This system is described in a peer-reviewed article published in Radar Science and Technology, according to the South China Morning Post.
To achieve this, researchers created a radar cross section (RCS, the echo produced by the power output of a target) for the reflector that gave a measurement of nothing more and nothing less than 5,240 square meters.
RCS is measured by the amount of energy generated by a targetin this case the reflector. When dispersed evenly in all directions, the energy output produces an echo of the same size on the radar screen.
The researchers found that, when powering the radar reflector transported by the drone, it is possible’significantly increase RCS to mask the characteristics of real targets, effectively achieving tactical objectives such as anti-reconnaissance and anti-attack’. So, A swarm of drones equipped in this way could saturate radar screens and create an image straight out of a science fiction movie..
Chen Qiangassociate researcher at the School of Electronic Science and Technology of the National University of Defense Technology and leading the team of researchers, said that the effect was achieved with a ‘unprecedented efficiency’.
The researchers were inspired by a patent filed in 1959 by Lester C. Van Attaa radar expert from the then Hughes Aircraft Company. Van Atta proposed a unique array antenna designed to ensure that the waveform and path of the incident waves perfectly coincide with the reflected waves.
However, to work, the die opening needed to be much larger and the idea was forgotten for more than 60 years. By applying an electric current to the Van Atta matrixChinese scientists were able significantly improve the RCS boosting capabilities of the device.
Another problem they had to solve was the interference between the amplified signals of the matrix elements. To do this, they developed a new signal isolation module and incorporated a structure in the sending and receiving antenna set to further improve profit.
According to the study, tests carried out in a military laboratory—the People’s Liberation Army participated in the research—have shown that this system effectively reflects electromagnetic waves coming from various angles and shows particularly notable performance operating in the X band, commonly used for weapons control and target tracking.
‘This method It only requires powering the amplification moduleeliminating the need to generate and analyze electromagnetic signals, thus offering the advantages of miniaturization and scalability,’ according to the researchers.