Shared Operation of a Barrage Jammer and Reference Signal Sources for Determining Ground-Based Radio Transmitters Operating via Geostationary Relay Satellites

Abstract

Introduction. There are incidences of jamming the users of satellite communication systems, who apply e.g. geostationary relay satellites, and the illegal use of such satellite resources. These actions can be both intentional and unintentional, and, among other things, be caused by non-compliance with electromagnetic compatibility standards on part of other users of satellite communication systems. For a prompt and high -quality response of radio monitoring services and satellite operators to these illegal actions, it seems urgent to develop methods for accurate determination of the geolocation of radio emission sources.Aim. To develop a method for improving the accuracy of determining the coordinates of ground-based radio emission sources operating via geostationary relay satellites based on shared operation of a barrage jammer and reference signal sources.Materials and methods. The research was conducted using the statistical theory of radio engineering systems, the theory of digital signal processing and the method of simulation.Results. A method was developed for improving the geolocation accuracy of ground-based radio emission sources operating via geostationary relay satellites based on shared operation of a barrage jammer and reference signal sources. A method for resolving ambiguity regarding the true correlation peak of a reference source signal using a signal from a barrage jammer was described. An expression was obtained for the probability of a correct solution when resolving such ambiguity. As a result, the estimates of geolocation accuracy obtained using the developed method were compared with those obtained by a conventional method relying on the usage of 3 different reference stations.Conclusions. The method proposed in this paper makes it possible to achieve a relatively high accuracy when determining the geolocation of ground-based radio emission sources in the Earth’s regions of interest, at the same time as involving no organizational and financial costs for the installation of a large number of reference stations.