Analysis of 5G New Radio Waveform as an Illuminator of Opportunity for Passive Bistatic Radar

Abstract

Passive radar detects targets using the reflections of electromagnetic signals illuminated by unintended sources of opportunity in the given surveillance region. The illuminators of opportunity (IOO) like FM, DVB, DAB, LTE, WiMax, and radio frequency signals are used for the passive radar depending on the availability, frequency of operation and, type of application. This paper proposes the upcoming 5G New Radio waveform (5G NR) as an IOO for passive bistatic radar. The 5G NR waveform is used to perform parametric analysis of passive bistatic radar. The radar parameters like range resolution, velocity resolution, range product, maximum unambiguous PRF, and Cassini's ovals are investigated. Further, the 5G NR IOO is compared against existing LTE and other IOOs. Simulation results reveals that all the radar parameters are outperforming for the 5G NR waveform, claiming that 5G NR is a potential candidate for the future IOO.