Germany demonstrates passive radar system using Starlink satellite radiation - Army Technology

A passive radar model has been created by Germany to trace targets by utilizing radiation from Starlink satellites in an opportunistic manner.

In January 2024, Germany's Ministry of Defence released their annual report on defence technology which revealed information about a new radar system they have been researching. This system uses the Starlink satellite network to detect and image targets, and has been described as "passive". The report included information about a successful demonstration of the new radar system.

According to the report, the Starlink network's current transmitters can be used opportunistically. This creates the possibility of covert operations that are more resilient against interference and better suited for identifying hidden targets.

Starlink is an extremely large group of over 3000 satellites, even in comparison to current measurements. These satellites operate in a low earth orbit at 550km above the surface of the planet, delivering a high-quality signal to customers of Starlink all around the world. This signal is not affected by any weather conditions and has a very strong bandwidth, reaching all the way to users located in Ukraine.

The Fraunhofer Institute for High Frequency Physics and Radar Techniques (FHR) is developing the SABBIA 2.0 passive radar system demonstrator and they are delighted with the current conditions. The abundance of Starlink satellites has created a situation where objects can be illuminated from multiple angles, revealing objects that might not be visible in normal situations where there is only one transmitter.

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The method involves using a top-quality reference antenna to monitor a specific Starlink satellite and replicate its signal, as well as a secondary observation antenna directed towards a designated scope to pick up reflections from the aimed objective.

The SABBIA 2.0 passive radar system has the ability to identify targets without transmitting its own radar signal by monitoring the Starlink satellite's actions. Additionally, it can function while in motion on a mobile platform, like a boat, because it doesn't radiate signals from its immediate location, and its movement is accounted for.

In addition to the advantages of conserving energy by using Starlink radiation opportunistically, the passive radar system is also designed to be hard to detect by opponents. As a result, the system is less vulnerable to disturbance caused by interference radiation.

FHR recently created a new model that merges the Starlink signal with geostationary TV satellite radiation. This produces a non-stop stream of radar images, which can be saved for remote sensing purposes.