Investigation on Effects of HPM Pulse on UAV's Datalink

Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is likely to be interfered by high-power microwave (HPM) pulse, especially its datalink. To investigate the effects of HPM pulse on the datalink of a UAV in a dynamic flight scenario, a tracking interference model for an HPM source toward a UAV is proposed, as well a dynamic flight model is also built to determine the HPM reception of the UAV's datalink. In order to predict the possible effects of HPM on the datalink, the tests on a certain type of UAV's datalink are carried out in the presence of HPM with its carrier frequency in L-, S- and C-band, respectively. The results show that the electromagnetic interference (EMI) can easily enter the receiver via front-door when the carrier frequency of the HPM falls into the operating frequency band of the datalink, which will lead to a permanent physical damage. However, when the carrier frequency deviates from the operating frequency band of the datalink, the EMI couples into the incomplete shielded power line via back-door and generates a high-voltage signal at the power port, resulting in a transient lost-link effect or even a functional failure of the datalink due to its abnormal electric power supply. Finally, some suggestions are put forward to improve the UAV's adaptability in the HPM environment.