The CSIR hosted an integrated radar and electronic warfare (EW) deployment at Paardefontein, a CSIR research facility north of Pretoria, towards the end of 2015. The goal was to showcase the integration of radar, EW, optronic and aeronautic capabilities.
The ability to integrate these technologies provides operational forces with a consolidated view of exactly what is happening from all areas – creating better situation awareness during operations, which in turn allows for more effective countermeasures, command and control. “It is important to show the interoperability between various technologies in order to demonstrate how one supplements another,” explains the CSIR’s Seshan Govender. “For example, the CSIR’s Stand Alone Tracker (SAT) provided visual confirmation of targets that moved beyond the radar’s view.”
Visitors from 26 countries attended presentations and demonstrations on the eight CSIR-developed systems and software platforms that were deployed. Systems included the integrative, collaborative and distributive awareness system Cmore, the sensor and EW engagement simulation (SEWES) software, the MeCORT measurement radar developed in collaboration with Reutech Radar Systems, the mobile command and control situational awareness shelter, the Enigma 4 radar target and electronic countermeasure hardware-in-the-loop simulator system, the passive coherent location radar technology demonstrator that was developed in collaboration with Peralex and the University of Cape Town (UCT), and the Inundu pod which was integrated and flown on a Hawker Hunter aircraft.
Invited industry partners Peralex and SAAB Grintek Defence also demonstrated their technologies over the four days. Peralex demonstrated ComRad3, an experimental passive radar system that is still under development in collaboration with the CSIR and UCT.
The display featured a live demonstration of the system where Peralex technicians aimed to detect air targets and locate their position. It was deployed using a single aperture antenna array to measure the angle of arrival in order to geo-locate the target. The system exploits transmitters of opportunity in the commercial radio frequency (RF) band and can also be deployed in a multi-static configuration that determines the location of the target through the use of novel Doppler tracking techniques.
SAAB Grintek Defence displayed a naval electronic support measure (ESM) system used on surface ships and submarines, an ESM and electronic intelligence system designed for airborne platforms and two different land electronic defence systems.
The highlight of the deployment was the successful flight of the CSIR-developed Inundu pod, which was designed as a fast jet testing, evaluation and training platform. The flight trials provided the opportunity to evaluate the pod’s performance as an airborne radar and EW ‘laboratory’. The payload utilised the CSIR’s high-resolution Digital Radio Frequency Memory (DRFM), data capturing and RF technology – building blocks developed by the CSIR over many years which enables a wide range of radar and EW testing, evaluation and training applications.
For more information contact Dr Luthando Dziba, CSIR, [email protected]
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