The description of the device and the principle of operation of a new type of autodyne transceiver of short-range radar systems (SRRS), made on the basis of an optoelectronic oscillator (OEO), is presented. The antenna is connected to the OEO through a dividing-decoupling device (DDD), which provides, on the one hand, conditions for generating self-oscillations in the system and, on the other hand, transmitting and receiving radio signals with minimal losses. The scheme of the DDD and the method of calculating their parameters are considered. A mathematical model of the autodyne system based on the OEO has been developed, and the basic relations for determining its parameters and characteristics have been obtained. It is demonstrated that the use of OEO provides a significant increase in the equivalent Q-factor of the oscillator system and the reduction in its own noise. The improvement of these parameters of the autodyne SRRS will significantly increase the range of operation, expand the range of operating frequencies and the scope of their application. The prospects of using autodynes based on OEO in the creation of detection systems of objects with a small effective scattering area, such as unmanned aerial vehicles, for protection against which the use of conventional (distant) radars is ineffective, are noted.