Multi-rotor craft in flight
The reflection is modulated by the rapidly spinning rotors — the signature persists along the whole track.
passive radar · lte networks
We do not transmit. We listen to what is already on the air.
LTE Radar detects airborne and ground objects using the signals of operating LTE networks as illumination. The system has no transmitter of its own — it only receives.
- no emissions there is nothing on the air that can be tied to a position
- no frequency assignment no transmit licence required
- no interference operates on top of existing communications networks
01
Principle
Three steps, with not a single emission of our own between them.
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01.1
Illumination
Cellular base stations transmit continuously. For us that is a ready-made illumination field — deployed, paid for and maintained around the clock by the mobile operators.
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01.2
Reception
The receiving position transmits nothing. It listens to the direct signal from the base station and the weak reflections of that same signal from objects in its area of responsibility.
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01.3
Decision
The system separates reflections from the stationary background, tracks them over time and issues a plot with an object class: airborne or ground, moving or stationary.
An active radar detects a target — and in doing so reveals itself. A passive one gives the other side nothing: there is nothing on the air to look for.
02
What it detects
Classes are named by the observed feature, not by the type of platform.
air picture
rotorcraft
hovering
fixed-wing
Multi-rotor craft in hover
The body is stationary and indistinguishable from a local object to most sensors. Only the rotors are seen — and that is enough.
Fixed-wing aircraft
A steady course combined with modulation from the pulling propeller. Tracked across the whole passage through the coverage area.
ground picture
rigid body
heavy
slow mover
Road vehicles
Rigid body, steady motion. Resolved in range and velocity even in heavy traffic.
Heavy and tracked vehicles
A large reflection with a distinctive gait. Reliably separated from light traffic by speed and plot stability.
People and group movement
Slow movement. Requires longer observation, but stays within the capabilities of the receiving position.
Attribution of an observed signature to a specific platform is done by the operator, taking into account the local situation. The system reports what it observes and does not speculate on its behalf.
03
Illumination field
Every base station is a potential illumination source. Network density determines where a receiving position can be deployed without preparation and where it requires careful site selection.
loading registry
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operating bands
Drag to pan. Zoom with the buttons, a double-click, or Ctrl and the scroll wheel.
A modelled registry of positions is shown, built from population distribution and the typical structure of mobile networks. It is not an operator data dump and does not reflect actual siting.
04
What the output looks like
A simplified model of how a position works. The result is shown, not the way it is produced.
object in the area
decision
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waiting
- plots tracked
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- motion pattern
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- rotation signature
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- confidence
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Three illumination sources give three ellipses of possible positions. Their intersection is the object's coordinates.
05
Where it is used
Anywhere there is stable cellular coverage — which is nearly anywhere there is something worth protecting.
- 01
Critical infrastructure
Energy, refining, warehousing, communications nodes. Continuous surveillance of approaches from the air and the ground.
- 02
Airfields and pads
Detection of intruding craft near takeoff and landing zones, including craft in hover.
- 03
Industrial perimeters
Watch on the movement of vehicles and people along a fence line without laying cable barriers.
- 04
Public events
Temporary position for the duration of an event. Deployable on site, no transmit licence required.
- 05
Border sectors
Covert observation in places where active sensors would give the team away.
- 06
Traffic monitoring
Vehicle flow counting on approach roads and service roads in any weather and in the dark.
06
Enquire
We work by enquiry. Technical specifications, kit composition and supply terms are provided to the interested party under confidential cover.
lteradar.com