RCS Calibration of a UAV-Mounted Ultra-Wideband Software-Defined Radar Using a Circular Disk

Recent advancements in uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) allow them to be cost-effective and easy-to-use platforms for remote sensing. The advancements in software-defined radar systems allow the use of ultra-wideband waveforms and mounting them in a hexacopter UAV. Radar cross section calibration for radar systems is essential to retrieve various geophysical variables and explore the full potential of these radar systems. In our study, we utilized a disk as an external calibration target, achieving a standard deviation ranging from 0.5 dB to 1 dB across most of our operational frequency range. Further characterizations of the system are needed to fully understand certain frequency bands and to assist the full performance potential of the calibration.