ABSTRACT
This chapter provides a concise synopsis, an evaluation of the surveillance challenges posed by drone and hypersonic weapons, and the subsequent proposals for solutions to these sensing challenges. As the threats posed by these two relatively novel types of weaponry are increasing, there is a necessity to develop and implement reliable and cost-efficient countermeasures that are equipped with built-in permanent modular update possibilities. The original design of currently in-use radar systems and sensor networks did not consider these targets, especially in heavy interference conditions. The most significant assessment of existing sensors and radars for near-term update requirements is based on radar performance. The promising sensor system design suggestions against both threats introduced a synergy of mechatronics design principles of the artificial intelligence-supported multi-frequency band, Gaussian monostatic and/or multi-static, and dual-polarized signal and data fusion. Consequently, several important key performance characteristics from a surveillance point of view are highlighted and assessed. A challenge for continuous system realization, knowledge optimization, and extraction is formulated for university students as a multi-frequency band Gaussian monostatic smart sensor CubeSat.
