Munich 28-Sep-2020

Rohde & Schwarz supports intelligence and surveillance operations for naval forces

The multichannel naval COMINT system from Rohde & Schwarz increases situational awareness on naval vessels and expands reconnaissance and surveillance capabilities.

Naval forces worldwide are facing changes in their mission requirements. Operations against terrorism, acts of piracy, smuggling, and other organized crime at sea have become a new challenge, next to the original forms of naval warfare. The increase of maritime and littoral operations in asymmetric warfare and in peace-keeping measures necessitates that seagoing vessels offer multi-mission capabilities. This requires a high degree of flexibility in the use of human and material resources in order to accommodate the new scenarios.

The naval communications intelligence (COMINT) system provided by Rohde & Schwarz increases the military force and survivability for both the individual vessel and the fleet. The system contributes to the ship’s alertness, enhances situational awareness, and efficiently supports well-directed missions by gaining access to data from intercepted communications and by triggering immediate alarms. It collects valuable information for fleet-wide intelligence.

This naval COMINT system makes it possible to define automatic detection and surveillance jobs. As an integrated monitoring, direction finding and analysis software, it automatically processes fixed-frequency, as well as frequency agile signals (hoppers) and handles all types of HF/VHF/UHF radio communications.

The system automatically detects, classifies, demodulates and decodes signals and provides a real-time display of the results. Its capabilities include complete recording of the digital audio or the signal's IF. The system alerts operators to the possibility of upcoming hostile signals or unknown emissions and updates the situation picture accordingly.

The multichannel naval COMINT system by Rohde & Schwarz detects and monitors communications in the HF/VHF/UHF frequency bands. It takes bearings on emitters and shows their line of bearing (LOB) along with the emitter locations on a digital map.

The wideband receiver with digital down converters (DDC) allows multi-channel monitoring of a scalable number of frequencies in parallel. Its signal processing functions include interception of voice signals; demodulation and decoding of digital transmissions; automatic classification and content production; plus digital signal recording and replay.

The open system architecture allows users to develop their own decoders with the aid of a toolset that is provided with the system. The system features further capabilities for data import and export.

The naval COMINT system by Rohde & Schwarz includes a database that handles all gathered information. Integrated algorithms recognize communications networks by matching intercepted results with emitter data in the database and update the situation picture accordingly.

“Rohde & Schwarz offers its naval COMINT system as stand-alone solutions or as subsystems for full integration and interoperability with other platform subsystems,” explains Bosco Novak, Executive Vice President, Monitoring and Network Testing, Rohde & Schwarz.

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Rohde & Schwarz

Rohde & Schwarz is striving for a safer and connected world with its Test & Measurement, Technology Systems and Networks & Cybersecurity Divisions. For over 90 years, the global technology group has pushed technical boundaries with developments in cutting-edge technologies. The company's leading-edge products and solutions empower industrial, regulatory and government customers to attain technological and digital sovereignty. The privately owned, Munich based company can act independently, long-term and sustainably. Rohde & Schwarz generated net revenue of EUR 2.93 billion in the 2023/2024 fiscal year (July to June). On June 30, 2024, Rohde & Schwarz had more than 14,400 employees worldwide.

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