Blighter Surveillance Systems A800 Mk 2

The A800 Mk 2 from Blighter Surveillance Systems, a manufacturer from the United Kingdom, is a multi-mode drone-detection radar with electronic beam scanning (E-Scan), described as a 3D/4D radar. It is intended for military use and critical infrastructure and can run stationary or on a vehicle. The manufacturer distinguishes two target classes: nano quadcopters and fixed-wing drones.

The ranges are tied to the target class: the radar detects nano quadcopters out to 3 km and fixed-wing drones out to 7 km. That is physically plausible. A nano quadcopter has a tiny radar cross section and flies slowly or hovers; a fixed-wing drone offers more reflecting area and moves faster, which makes it easier to separate from static clutter. Anyone reading “3 km” must therefore always read “for nano quadcopters”. 3D means range, bearing and height; in radar engineering 4D usually adds the radial velocity of the target.

Radars transmit too: in Germany every use of a frequency needs an assignment from the Bundesnetzagentur (Section 91(1) TKG). How frequency use is regulated in Poland has to be clarified with the competent authorities before deployment. The radar detects and tracks; jammers may be operated only by authorities in Germany and Poland (Section 91 TKG, Article 42 of the Polish Electronic Communications Law).

In selection what matters is which drones are to be protected: anyone expecting small quadcopters plans with 3 km, anyone who needs to cover fixed-wing drones with up to 7 km. Hovering drones are the hardest case for Doppler radars because their radial velocity is close to zero; cameras and RF detectors help to confirm them. With vehicle mounting, north alignment and tilt have to be calibrated again after every move. Firmware, connectors and mounts need care.