Virtual Receiving Array method for direction of arrival estimation using Direct Data Domain techniques and Signal Cyclostationarity

There is strong evidence that Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) can provide valuable intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and targeting information for various critical missions. Taking advantage of the autonomous nature and small form factor of these airborne platforms, this study proposes the Virtual Receiving Array (VRA) method - a technique for generating a multi-element virtual array by means of transporting a single receiving element in time along a predetermined flight path. The VRA method is designed to help reduce the cost and complexity of deploying a physical multi-element array. The matrix generated by this method is processed using a Direct Data Domain (D 3) Cyclostationary (CS) adaptive process to estimate the intercepted signal's Direction of Arrival (DOA).;The VRA method is tested and validated against a synthetic scenario, before it is applied to data generated in a trial where the UAV payload is used to intercept a Furuno radar operating in the X band. In a noise-free environment the method demonstrates low sensitivity to the number of snapshots used for D3 CS DOA estimation, while an increase in the number of generated virtual receiving elements results in an improvement in the accuracy of the DOA estimates. Some practical considerations are discussed to ensure the usability of the method and conclusions are drawn with respect to the method operational requirements and deployment capabilities.;Keywords: Virtual Receiving Array, Direction of Arrival, Electronic Warfare, Unmanned Aerial Vehicle, Signal Cyclostationarity, Direct Data Domain.