Experimental Analysis and Modeling of Monostatic AAV RCS for ISAC Channels

Realistic modeling of the autonomous aerial vehicle (AAV) radar cross section (RCS) is vital for integrated sensing and communication (ISAC) channel modeling, ensuring accurate sensing performance prediction and evaluation. Despite advancements in the AAV RCS research, the existing experimental data remain insufficient and a realistic model is not yet established. This study presents an experimental analysis and the modeling of AAV RCS. First, we conduct monostatic AAV RCS measurements in an anechoic chamber, recording RCS covering frequency band of 1.8 GHz to 18.2 GHz and azimuth angles of –90<inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$^\circ$</tex-math></inline-formula> to 90<inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$^\circ$</tex-math></inline-formula> (given the symmetry of the AAV). Subsequently, the measured RCS data are fitted using three well-known distributions, Rician, Gamma, and LogNormal. Our analysis reveals the superiority of the Rician distribution in modeling AAV RCS, according to the performance evaluation of the fittings. Detailed distribution parameters are provided for AAV RCS realization. Furthermore, a statistical assessment of the AAV RCS based on the modeling result is conducted, offering insights for predicting and evaluating the AAV sensing. These findings contribute to advancing ISAC channel research and practical applications.