AESS Best Readings in Integrated Sensing and Communications (ISAC)

This collection presents a comprehensive overview of integrated sensing and communications (ISAC), published in IEEE Aerospace and Electronics Systems Society (AESS). The collection highlights the recent developments and practical implementations across information theory, signal processing, mobile computing, aerospace and electronic systems, as well as vehicular and intelligent transportation technologies. To support this scope, the list features four dedicated special issues and four online resources, each focused specifically on ISAC. An introductory section is included to offer a structured perspective for readers who are new to the field.
The collection further categorizes the most dynamic research directions into six critical research domains that define the modern ISAC landscape:

Waveform Design & Signal Processing: Designing unified signals that achieve the high resolution required for sensing while maintaining the spectral efficiency needed for communications.
Information Embedding & Signaling Strategies: Methods for multiplexing data onto radar emissions through spatial modulation, frequency hopping, and intra-pulse index modulation.
Resource Allocation & Network Optimization: Algorithmic frameworks for managing power, bandwidth, and Quality of Service (QoS) across multi-user, multi-functional networks.
Radio Frequency Interference (RFI) & Coexistence: Strategies for detecting and mitigating interference in shared bands, ensuring robust operation in "contested" L, P, and mmWave spectrums.
Opportunistic ISAC: Use of illumination from legacy or co-existing non-sensing emitters to perform sensing tasks.
Hardware, Circuits, & Accelerators: Practical implementations focusing on GaN-on-Silicon SoCs, FPGA-based real-time processing, and reconfigurable RF front-ends.
Surveys & Future Perspectives: Comprehensive tutorials and roadmaps addressing emerging trends.

Contributors:
Ahmet Mete Elbir: View Profile
Batu Chalise: View Profile
Kumar Vijay Mishra: View Profile

: These papers focus on the fundamental challenge of creating a single waveform that satisfies both high-resolution radar sensing and high-rate communication requirements, often under hardware constraints like constant modulus.

He, Q., Wang, Z., Cheng, Z., & He, Z. (2026). Co-Design of Transmit Waveform and Receive Filter for Monopulse-Based DoA Estimation in MIMO Radar. IEEE Trans. Aerosp. Electron. Syst., 62, 4991–5005. doi: 10.1109/TAES.2026.3656858

Varshney, P., Babu, P., & Stoica, P. (2023). Low-PAPR OFDM Waveform Design for Radar and Communication Systems. IEEE Transactions on Radar Systems, 1, 69–74.doi: 10.1109/TRS.2023.3275210

Rahal, M., Elzanaty, A., Mirmohseni, M., Ma, Y., & Tafazolli, R. (2025). Near-Field Wideband ISAC: Estimator Design and Performance Analysis. IEEE Trans. Aerosp. Electron. Syst., 1–14. doi: 10.1109/TAES.2025.3605909

Pappu, C. S., Grooms, S., Garmatyuk, D., Carroll, T. L., Beal, A. N., & Mudaliar, S. (2024). Interference Resilient Integrated Sensing and Communication Using Multiplexed Chaos. IEEE Transactions on Radar Systems, 3, 26–43. doi: 10.1109/TRS.2024.3513293

Correas-Serrano, A., Petrov, N., Gonzalez-Huici, M., & Yarovoy, A. (2025). Emerging Trends in Radar: OTFS-Based Radar for Integrated Sensing and Communications Systems. IEEE Aerosp. Electron. Syst. Mag., 40(6), 102–107. doi: 10.1109/MAES.2025.3537576

W. Wu, B. Tang and X. Wang, "Constant-Modulus Waveform Design for Dual-Function Radar-Communication Systems in the Presence of Clutter," in IEEE Transactions on Aerospace and Electronic Systems, vol. 59, no. 4, pp. 4005-4017, Aug. 2023, doi: 10.1109/TAES.2023.3234927

C. Huang, Z. Huang, Q. Zhou, Z. Li, Z. Yang and J. Zhang, "Joint Transmit Waveform and Receive Filter Design for the DFRC System with Imperfect CSI," in IEEE Transactions on Radar Systems, vol. 2, pp. 288-302, 2024, doi: 10.1109/TRS.2024.3368588

A. R. Chiriyath, S. Ragi, H. D. Mittelmann and D. W. Bliss, "Novel Radar Waveform Optimization for a Cooperative Radar-Communications System," in IEEE Transactions on Aerospace and Electronic Systems, vol. 55, no. 3, pp. 1160-1173, June 2019,doi: 10.1109/TAES.2019.2908739

S. Zhou, X. Liang, Y. Yu and H. Liu, "Joint Radar-Communications Co-Use Waveform Design Using Optimized Phase Perturbation," in IEEE Transactions on Aerospace and Electronic Systems, vol. 55, no. 3, pp. 1227-1240, June 2019, doi: 10.1109/TAES.2019.2909254
: These works explore how to "hide" or embed communication data within radar emissions, often using spatial modulation, frequency hopping, or pulse variations.

Wei, T., Wu, L., Mishra, K. V., & Bhavani Shankar M., R. (2024). RIS-Aided Wideband Holographic DFRC. IEEE Trans. Aerosp. Electron. Syst., 60(4), 4241–4256. doi: 10.1109/TAES.2024.3374272

Zhai, W., Wang, X., Zhou, C., Greco, M. S., Gini, F., & Shi, Z. (2025). Dual-Functional IRS Design for ISAC via Reinforcement Learning in Unknown Environment. IEEE Trans. Aerosp. Electron. Syst., 61(6), 17785–17803. doi: 10.1109/TAES.2025.3610464

I. P. Eedara, M. G. Amin, A. Hoorfar and B. K. Chalise, "Dual-Function Frequency-Hopping MIMO Radar System with CSK Signaling," in IEEE Transactions on Aerospace and Electronic Systems, vol. 58, no. 3, pp. 1501-1513, June 2022, doi: 10.1109/TAES.2021.3139445

J. G. Metcalf, C. Sahin, S. D. Blunt and M. Rangaswamy, "Analysis of symbol-design strategies for intrapulse radar-embedded communications," in IEEE Transactions on Aerospace and Electronic Systems, vol. 51, no. 4, pp. 2914-2931, Oct. 2015, doi: 10.1109/TAES.2015.140675

X. Wang, A. Hassanien and M. G. Amin, "Dual-Function MIMO Radar Communications System Design Via Sparse Array Optimization," in IEEE Transactions on Aerospace and Electronic Systems, vol. 55, no. 3, pp. 1213-1226, June 2019, doi: 10.1109/TAES.2018.2866038

Yao, X., Yang, J., Xiong, K., Yu, X., Cui, G., & Nie, X. (2023). Integrated Signal Design for MIMO DFRC With Intrapulse Index Modulation. IEEE Trans. Aerosp. Electron. Syst., 60(2), 1490–1504. doi: 10.1109/TAES.2023.3339118

Blunt, S. D., Yatham, P., & Stiles, J. (2010). Intrapulse Radar-Embedded Communications. IEEE Trans. Aerosp. Electron. Syst., 46(3), 1185–1200. doi: 10.1109/TAES.2010.5545182
: These publications focus on the "management" side—how to distribute power, time, and bandwidth across a network or between two functions to meet Quality of Service (QoS) requirements.

Rahman, Md. L., Zhang, J. A., Huang, X., Guo, Y. J., & Heath, R. W. (2019). Framework for a Perceptive Mobile Network Using Joint Communication and Radar Sensing. IEEE Trans. Aerosp. Electron. Syst., 56(3), 1926–1941. doi: 10.1109/TAES.2019.2939611

Şahin, S., & Girici, T. (2024). Resource Allocation in Networked Joint Radar and Communications. IEEE Trans. Aerosp. Electron. Syst., 61(2), 4697–4706. doi: 10.1109/TAES.2024.3506701

Tsinos, C. G., Arora, A., & Tsiftsis, T. A. (2024). Joint Radar-Communication Systems by Optimizing Radar Performance and Quality of Service for Communication Users. IEEE Transactions on Radar Systems, 2, 778–790. doi: 10.1109/TRS.2024.3425275

Chakravarthi, M. A., Pardhasaradhi, B., Srihari, P., D’Souza, J., Jena, P., & Zhou, J. (2024). Communication-Aided Target State Estimation in a Cooperative Radar-Communication System. IEEE Transactions on Radar Systems, 2, 832–848. doi: 10.1109/TRS.2024.3452869

Dokhanchi, S. H., Mysore, B. S., Mishra, K. V., & Ottersten, B. (2019). A mmWave Automotive Joint Radar-Communications System. IEEE Trans. Aerosp. Electron. Syst., 55(3), 1241–1260. doi: 10.1109/TAES.2019.2899797

Rahman, Md. L., Zhang, J. A., Huang, X., Guo, Y. J., & Heath, R. W. (2019). Framework for a Perceptive Mobile Network Using Joint Communication and Radar Sensing. IEEE Trans. Aerosp. Electron. Syst., 56(3), 1926–1941. doi: 10.1109/TAES.2019.2939611
: These publications focus on the "management" side—how to distribute power, time, and bandwidth across a network or between two functions to meet Quality of Service (QoS) requirements. This category also focuses on how systems identify, avoid, or cancel interference from overlapping communication and radar services.

Aubry, A., Babu, P., De Maio, A., & Pallotta, L. (2025). Off-Grid Multisnapshot Spectrum Sensing for Cognitive Radar. IEEE Trans. Aerosp. Electron. Syst., 61(4), 8641–8658. doi: 10.1109/TAES.2025.3542747

Aubry, A., Carotenuto, V., De Maio, A., Fioranelli, F., Krasnov, O., & Yarovoy, A. (2024). Assessing Radar Waveforms for Spectral Coexistence via the PARSAX System. IEEE Trans. Aerosp. Electron. Syst., 60(5), 6671–6684. doi: 10.1109/TAES.2024.3412867

Schurwanz, M., Oettinghaus, S., Mietzner, J., & Hoeher, P. A. (2024). Reducing On-Board Interference and Angular Ambiguity Using Distributed MIMO Radars in Medium-Sized Autonomous Air Vehicle. IEEE Aerosp. Electron. Syst. Mag., 39(6), 4–14. doi: 10.1109/MAES.2024.3383820

Chen, J., Tao, M., Liu, Y., Li, T., Liu, Y., & Li, J. (2024). Characterization and Mitigation of Radio Frequency Interference Signatures in L-Band LuTan-1 InSAR System: First Results and Assessment. IEEE Transactions on Radar Systems, 2, 404–420. doi: 10.1109/TRS.2024.3385181

Melvin, W. L. (2023). An Overview of Radar Operation in the Presence of Diminishing Spectrum. IEEE Aerosp. Electron. Syst. Mag., 38(8), 48–60. doi: 10.1109/MAES.2023.3266741

Lv, Z., Zhang, Z., Fan, H., Chen, Z., Qiu, J., & Wu, Y. (2023). A Two-Stage Approach for TSNB and ITWB RFI Mitigation in P- and L-Band SAR Data. IEEE Trans. Aerosp. Electron. Syst., 60(2), 1450–1470. doi: 10.1109/TAES.2023.3336641

Doly, S. A., Chiriyath, A. R., Mittelmann, H. D., Bliss, D. W., & Ragi, S. (2022). Waveform Codesign for Radar–Communication Spectral Coexistence via Dynamic Programming. IEEE Trans. Aerosp. Electron. Syst., 58(5), 4315–4326. doi: 10.1109/TAES.2022.3162567

Lv, W., Mishra, K. V., & Chen, S. (2022). Co-Pulsing FDA Radar. IEEE Trans. Aerosp. Electron. Syst., 59(2), 1107–1126.doi: 10.1109/TAES.2022.3197392

Kirk, B. H., Narayanan, R. M., Gallagher, K. A., Martone, A. F., & Sherbondy, K. D. (2018). Avoidance of Time-Varying Radio Frequency Interference With Software-Defined Cognitive Radar. IEEE Trans. Aerosp. Electron. Syst., 55(3), 1090–1107. doi: 10.1109/TAES.2018.2886614

Nguyen, L. H., Tran, T., & Do, T. (2014). Sparse models and sparse recovery for ultra-wideband SAR applications. IEEE Trans. Aerosp. Electron. Syst., 50(2), 940–958. doi: 10.1109/TAES.2014.120454

S. A. Flandermeyer, R. G. Mattingly, and J. G. Metcalf, “Deep reinforcement learning for cognitive radar spectrum sharing: A continuous control approach,” IEEE Trans. Radar Syst., vol. 2, pp. 125–137, Jan. 2024 doi: 10.1109/TRS.2024.3353112.
: These publications focus on the use of illumination from legacy or co-existing communication systems to perform sensing tasks, enabling spectrum-efficient and hardware-lightweight joint sensing and communication.

Neinavaie, M., & Kassas, Z. M. (2023). Unveiling Starlink LEO Satellite OFDM-Like Signal Structure Enabling Precise Positioning. IEEE Trans. Aerosp. Electron. Syst., 60(2), 2486–2489. doi: 10.1109/TAES.2023.3265951

Colone, F., Filippini, F., Di Seglio, M., Brennan, P. V., Du, R., & Han, T. X. (2023). Reference-Free Amplitude-Based WiFi Passive Sensing. IEEE Trans. Aerosp. Electron. Syst., 59(5), 6432–6451. doi: 10.1109/TAES.2023.3276738

Humphreys, T. E., Iannucci, P. A., Komodromos, Z. M., & Graff, A. M. (2023). Signal Structure of the Starlink Ku-Band Downlink. IEEE Trans. Aerosp. Electron. Syst., 59(5), 6016–6030. doi: 10.1109/TAES.2023.3268610

Neinavaie, M., Khalife, J., & Kassas, Z. M. (2021). Acquisition, Doppler Tracking, and Positioning With Starlink LEO Satellites: First Results. IEEE Trans. Aerosp. Electron. Syst., 58(3), 2606–2610. doi: 10.1109/TAES.2021.3127488

Duggal, G., Vishwakarma, S., Mishra, K. V., & Ram, S. S. (2020). Doppler-Resilient 802.11ad-Based Ultrashort Range Automotive Joint Radar-Communications System. IEEE Trans. Aerosp. Electron. Syst., 56(5), 4035–4048. doi: 10.1109/TAES.2020.2990393

Bolvardi, H., Derakhtian, M., & Sheikhi, A. (2017). Dynamic Clutter Suppression and Multitarget Detection in a DVB-T-Based Passive Radar. IEEE Trans. Aerosp. Electron. Syst., 53(4), 1812–1825. doi: 10.1109/TAES.2017.2674138

O'Hagan, D. W., Griffiths, H. D., Ummenhofer, S. M., & Paine, S. T. (2017). Elevation Pattern Analysis of Common Passive Bistatic Radar Illuminators of Opportunity. IEEE Trans. Aerosp. Electron. Syst., 53(6), 3008–3019. doi: 10.1109/TAES.2017.2724378

Choi, S., Crouse, D., Willett, P., & Zhou, S. (2015). Multistatic target tracking for passive radar in a DAB/DVB network: initiation. IEEE Trans. Aerosp. Electron. Syst., 51(3), 2460–2469. doi: 10.1109/TAES.2015.130270
: This category highlights the practical implementation of ISAC, focusing on the underlying electronics, real-time processing, and circuit efficiency.

Mangal, J., Joshi, K., Reddy, K. N., Jain, S., Ram, S. S., & Darak, S. J. (2025). Millimeter Wave Frontend for Integrated Sensing and Communication System Transceiver on Edge. IEEE Aerosp. Electron. Syst. Mag., 40(12), 36–54. doi: 10.1109/MAES.2025.3586213

Tewari, A., Jha, S. S., Sneh, A., Darak, S. J., & Ram, S. S. (2024). Reconfigurable Radar Signal Processing Accelerator for Integrated Sensing and Communication System. IEEE Trans. Aerosp. Electron. Syst., 61(1), 162–181. doi: 10.1109/TAES.2024.3446462

Haug, S., Goad, A., Egbert, A., Baylis, C., Martone, A., & Marks, R. J. (2023). Real-Time Circuit Optimizations for Dual-Function Radar-Communications. IEEE Transactions on Radar Systems, 2, 101–111. doi: 10.1109/TRS.2023.3345214

Bournaka, G., Ummenhofer, M., Cristallini, D., Palmer, J., & Summers, A. (2017). Experimental Study for Transmitter Imperfections in DVB-T Based Passive Radar. IEEE Trans. Aerosp. Electron. Syst., 54(3), 1341–1354. doi: 10.1109/TAES.2017.2785518
: These articles provide the theoretical framework, historical context, and roadmaps for the future of ISAC and DFRC.

Hanif, A., Ahmed, S., Alouini, M.-S., & Al-Naffouri, T. Y. (2025). Exploring the Synergy: A Review of Dual-Functional Radar Communication Systems. IEEE Aerosp. Electron. Syst. Mag., 41(4), 94–126. doi: 10.1109/MAES.2025.3551690

Elbir, A. M., Mishra, K. V., Chatzinotas, S., & Bennis, M. (2024). Terahertz-Band Integrated Sensing and Communications: Challenges and Opportunities. IEEE Aerosp. Electron. Syst. Mag., 39(12), 38–49. doi: 10.1109/MAES.2024.3476228

Hassanien, A., Amin, M. G., Zhang, Y. D., & Ahmad, F. (2016). Signaling strategies for dual-function radar communications: an overview. IEEE Aerosp. Electron. Syst. Mag., 31(10), 36–45. doi: 10.1109/MAES.2016.150225
: The following collections comprise special issues/sections published on ISAC, spectrum sharing, and management.

Internetworking and Resource Management in Satellite Systems, IEEE Aerosp. Electron. Syst. Mag., 22(8), 2007 https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpl/tocresult.jsp?isnumber=4300990&punumber=62

Passive Radar - Part I, IEEE Aerosp. Electron. Syst. Mag., 27(10), 2012: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpl/tocresult.jsp?isnumber=6373899&punumber=62

Waveform Diversity - Part I, IEEE Aerosp. Electron. Syst. Mag., 31(10), 2016: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpl/tocresult.jsp?isnumber=7746556&punumber=62

Waveform Diversity - Part II, IEEE Aerosp. Electron. Syst. Mag., 31(12), 2016: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpl/tocresult.jsp?isnumber=8068028&punumber=62

Passive and Multi-Static Radar for Civil Applications, IEEE Aerosp. Electron. Syst. Mag., 32(2), 2017: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpl/tocresult.jsp?isnumber=7917410&punumber=62

Navigation and Positioning Systems, IEEE Aerosp. Electron. Syst. Mag., 32(8), 2017: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpl/tocresult.jsp?isnumber=8861428&punumber=62

Integrated Navigation, Sensing, and Communication for Solving Problems in Society, IEEE Trans. Aerosp. Electron. Syst., 33(5-6), 2018: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpl/tocresult.jsp?isnumber=8361152&punumber=62

Spectrum, Sharing, IEEE Trans. Aerosp. Electron. Syst., 55(3), 2019: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpl/tocresult.jsp?isnumber=8733227&punumber=7

Wireless Sensor Networks and Remote Sensing for Environmental Applications – Part I, IEEE Aerosp. Electron. Syst. Mag., 34(6), 2019: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpl/tocresult.jsp?isnumber=8786825&punumber=62

Artificial Intelligence for Data Fusion, IEEE Trans. Aerosp. Electron. Syst., 34(9), 2019: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpl/tocresult.jsp?isnumber=8826558&punumber=62

Wireless Sensor Networks and Remote Sensing for Environmental Applications – Part II, IEEE Aerosp. Electron. Syst. Mag., 34(10), 2019: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpl/tocresult.jsp?isnumber=8861428&punumber=62

Multiplatform and Multifunctional RF Systems, IEEE Aerosp. Electron. Syst. Mag., 27(4), 2022: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpl/tocresult.jsp?isnumber=9750265&punumber=62

Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) for a New Space Vision, IEEE Trans. Aerosp. Electron. Syst., 58(5), 2022: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpl/tocresult.jsp?isnumber=9915531&punumber=7

Urban Air Mobility and UAS Airspace Integration: Vision, Challenges, and Enabling Avionics Technologies, IEEE Aerosp. Electron. Syst. Mag., 38(5), 2023: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpl/tocresult.jsp?isnumber=10122748&punumber=62

Innovations in Radar Spectrum, IEEE Trans. Radar Syst., 2, 2024: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpl/tocresult.jsp?isnumber=10363416&punumber=9931145

Machine Learning Methods for Aerial and Space Positioning and Navigation, IEEE Trans. Aerosp. Electron. Syst., 60(3), 2024: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpl/tocresult.jsp?isnumber=10552647&punumber=7