DeTect, Inc. HARRIER Drone Surveillance Radar (DSR)

The HARRIER Drone Surveillance Radar (DSR) from DeTect, Inc. of the United States belongs to a family of solid-state Doppler radars for small, low-flying and non-cooperative targets. “Non-cooperative” means the drone sends no identification signal. As a primary radar the device works independently of radio or GPS signatures and so also sees aircraft that fly autonomously or without a radio link. The manufacturer names airports, critical infrastructure and military use as fields of use.

The detection range is given as 3.2 km. That corresponds to “over 2 miles” in the manufacturer profile and is therefore a lower bound; larger aircraft are detected farther out. The manufacturer names S-band or X-band as the frequency band: S-band radars are less sensitive to rain, X-band radars allow more compact antennas. In height, coverage runs from the ground to above 20,000 ft (about 6,100 m) above ground level. The radar can be used stationary or vehicle-mounted.

Radars transmit too: in Germany every use of a frequency needs an assignment from the Bundesnetzagentur (Section 91(1) TKG), in S-band as in X-band. 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, note that “over 2 miles” names no radar cross section; before planning, the range for the actual target size belongs in the datasheet. The choice between S-band and X-band depends on how often it rains and on how much room there is for the antenna. Solid-state transmitters need no tube replacement, unlike magnetron radars; firmware, cooling, connectors and seals need care. Clutter from vehicles, wind turbines and birds calls for good filtering and classification with cameras and RF detectors.