With the increasing application of rotorcraft drones in fields such as airborne detection of thunderstorm electromagnetic fields, their operational safety in near-lightning environments has drawn widespread attention. The intense electromagnetic pulses generated by nearby lightning strikes can induce coupled currents in the internal cables of drones, thereby posing a risk of damage to the drone system.

This paper aims to investigate the electromagnetic coupling effects of nearby lightning pulse electromagnetic fields on the internal cables of rotorcraft drones and to evaluate and analyze the induced currents generated on different functional modules.

By simulating near-lightning pulse electromagnetic field environments experimentally, under various conditions including electric field strengths of 240 kV, 280 kV, and 320 kV, and magnetic field strengths ranging from 80 to 1600 A/m, induced current measurements were conducted on key internal cables connected to the motor, electronic speed controller (ESC), flight control module, GPS, and receiver.

The experimental results show that under pulsed electric fields, all tested cables exhibited significant induced currents, with the highest peak current of 12 A occurring between the motor and the ESC. Pulsed magnetic fields mainly induced currents during the voltage signal rise phase, reaching a peak value of 0.18 A under the 1600 A/m condition.

When operating in a near-lightning environment, drones generate induced currents, which pose potential risks to their normal operation. Therefore, targeted protective measures are necessary for critical modules such as GPS and key cables. Owing to time constraints, this study did not further analyze the impact of near-lightning electromagnetic environments on data links, and the influence of drone cable layout on induced currents warrants further investigation.