Performance Analysis of Drone-Based MIMO Radar Systems for Airborne Surveillance

This paper investigates the performance of a distributed multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) radar system mounted on a swarm of drones to meet the in-creasing demand for higher resolution, accuracy and adaptability to different scenar-ios in surveillance systems. Unlike traditional ground-based systems, the drone-mounted MIMO radar leverages the flexibility of changing height, geometric distribution, and baseline length which enhances the airborne monitoring capability. The system's per-formance is evaluated through key performance indicators (KPIs) considering both co-herent and non-coherent MIMO systems. The analysis considers the effects of changing baseline length, drone geometry, bandwidth, height, the number of radar-mounted drones within the baseline, and the impact of platform vibration on the KPIs. This analysis gives valuable insight into advancing drone-based MIMO radars to achieve desired KPIs. The results provide a solid foundation for the next-generation surveillance system with higher resolving power and adaptability.