For real world and future scenarios, transportable, mobile and handheld surveillance capabilities are proving to be essential equipment for the modern Armed Forces to collect and collate vital information, quickly identifying available frequencies for own and Allied Forces use, and those used by Hostile Forces, especially when planning protection of friendly Forces
from the use of RF controlled IEDs by Hostile forces.
These types of devices have to be deployed close to or along a friendly Force route or area of operation. However, by the use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), friendly Forces can now extend the spectrum surveillance reach beyond friendly territory and into enemy controlled territory, and other identified or specific locations which cannot be covered by fixed, handheld or mobile surveillance systems.
Colibrex, a subsidiary of LS telcom, has developed and integrated a RF Surveillance payload on its unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) The size and reach of the payload-equipped UAV can be adapted according to the environment and requirements.
The UAV’s payload consists of a lightweight RF sensor, high-resolution position and orientation sensors, an autopilot, a high-powered processor and data storage unit as well as a telemetry system. The measurement and positioning data is stored on board and can be streamed to the ground control station in real time.
For Line of Sight (LOS) operations the UAV can be remotely-controlled. For beyond-line-of-sight (BLOS) there are two options available to control the system. The UAV can either be remotely-controlled directly, in which the operator has an onboard video camera offering a real-time cockpit-view, or via a pre programmed automated GPS locked waypoints. As the system includes a GPS transmitter, the operator can locate and track the mission through dedicated mapping software.
Friendly Forces can use the UAV in stand-alone mode or integrate it with other deployed surveillance systems or with LS telcom’s surveillance and data collection system LS OBSERVER to form a Surveillance MESH or 3D Surveillance GRID.
The high fidelity information on real-time frequency use that the system provides enables Situational Awareness (SA) of the spectrum by intercepting the briefest of enemy use of the spectrum. This information is then used as part of the Commanders Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) capability. Moreover, LS OBSERVER smoothly interfaces with third party SIGINT (COMINT and ELINT) analysis software.
The flexibility of the system extends to the UAV being deployed as a RF repeater to establish or re-establish a link between Commander and his deployed forces or an emergency communication node or link.
