Radio-technical intelligence
While a significant part of this cycle focuses on active electronic suppression, as one of the areas of electronic warfare, which is a tool used to transmit radio signals in order to degrade and prevent the enemy from using the electromagnetic spectrum (EMC), another part of the EW triad (see. the introductory part "War on the air" Part 1) is the provision of electronic warfare, which includes electronic intelligence (the English term Electronic Intelligence or ELINT - interception of communication channels between radio equipment, as well as signals from radar and other devices). Much of the electronic warfare is shrouded in secrecy, but radio-technical intelligence (RTR) is perhaps the most closed area of all. Today, intensive RTR is being conducted from air platforms in Iraq and Syria. It is carried out with the aim of monitoring and accurately determining the use of telecommunication means by the militants of the Islamic State (IS, prohibited in the Russian Federation), and maybe also collecting information regarding electronic data on the combat strength and deployment of units of the Syrian air defense command, which manages ground air defense systems, including radars, anti-aircraft missile systems and anti-aircraft artillery. Aircraft can also collect information related to Russian ground-based air defense systems, especially since the deployment of the S-400 systems in November 2015 (see "Danger on the outskirts of the city", "War on the air" Part 1). This information is undoubtedly critical to the safe conduct of the US-led coalition's air operations against IS, especially in light of the loss of the Turkish RF-4E reconnaissance aircraft on June 22, 2012 (see Outskirts of City Danger section).
Beginning in October 2014, the British Air Force has deployed at least one of three new Boeing RC-135W Airseeker RTR platforms stationed at the Cypriot Akrotiri airbase in the Syrian-Iraqi theater. This aircraft is based on the Boeing RC-135V / W Rivet Joint reconnaissance aircraft in service with the US Air Force. However, the key difference between the British plane and the American one is that the first one is optimized for radio reconnaissance tasks (intercepting communication channels between people) and at the same time has slightly reduced capabilities for collecting RTR data. The new aircraft are expected to be capable of detecting and locating data traffic between tactical radios using BAE Systems' LBSS (Low Band Sub System) equipment.
Successful use of EMC depends on an understanding of the electromagnetic environment in which operations are carried out. This is greatly facilitated by products such as the Rockwell Collins IFMR-6070 receiver. It allows you to instantly cover the frequency range from 0.5 GHz to 18 GHz (it is possible to expand the operating range to 0.5-40 GHz) with accurate measurement of the parameters of radar signals and their analysis. In addition, a spokesman for Rockwell Collins said that they recently "introduced the RC-8800 multichannel tuner, designed to detect signals in the 0.5 to 20 GHz range." He added that both of these products are currently being evaluated by the US military and several unnamed NATO countries. In addition to detecting potentially hostile radio signals, the ability to detect other non-radio frequency threats to aircraft forms an important part of airborne electronic warfare. Orbital ATK's AAR-47 Missile Warning System detects the missile by detecting the infrared radiation of the exhaust jet, while the acoustic sensors integrated into the AAR-47 detect rocket launchers and small arms fire that pose a particular threat to low-flying military aircraft such as helicopters. A company spokesman said they are exploring the possibility of integrating a shortwave infrared (SWIR) camera into the AAR-47 architecture to improve visual detection of approaching targets, especially when some threats have low thermal signatures. Combined with the built-in sensors of the AAR-47 system, this will help reduce false alarms. Orbital ATK added that it is currently testing a SWIR camera and prototypes AAR-47 with an additional acoustic device in combat conditions. They hope by 2019 to receive a new version of the AAR-47, ready for delivery to the military, after which the AAR-47 will be delivered as a completely new product or additional capabilities will be integrated into existing systems.
European efforts
The Italian company Leonardo is installing its advanced SEER radar warning receiver on the Hawk Mk.209 light attack aircraft of the Indonesian Air Force. Deliveries of this system took place at the end of 2016. SEER collects information about potential threats and displays it to the crew either on a dedicated threat alert indicator or on multifunctional displays in the cockpit. In addition, it can record and re-display RF threat information collected by the equipment during a debriefing mission. The SEER receiver is capable of recording up to 20 hours of operation, can detect and analyze signals from the S band (2, 3-2, 5/2, 7-3, 7 GHz) to the K band (24, 05-24, 25 GHz), s the ability to expand down to ultra-high frequencies UHF (420-450 / 890-942 MHz) and up to the Ka band (33, 4-36 GHz). With a total weight of only 11 kg, the equipment is capable of detecting agile radar emissions up to 50 nanoseconds in duration, and it can also detect pulsed Doppler and CW radio frequencies.
It is not the only light attack aircraft equipped with new electronic warfare systems. The Italian Air Force receives the ELT / 572 DIRCM (Directional Infra-Red Counter-Measure) system developed by Elettronica for its C-130J Hercules turboprop transport aircraft. The ELT / 572 system is being installed at Lockheed Martin's United States plant and was scheduled to be installed on Italian C-130J aircraft by the end of 2016. The ELT / 572 system is designed to protect wide-body aircraft and helicopters, it neutralizes surface-to-air and air-to-air infrared missiles by dazzling their homing heads. At the Farnborough Air Show in the UK in the summer of 2016, the company announced that it will work with Thales to develop an integrated Cybele self-defense system that will be installed on all types of aircraft, both helicopters and airplanes. As part of the Cybele project, Thales will provide a missile attack warning system, a radar warning receiver and an automatic for dropping dipole reflectors and thermal decoys, and Elettronica will provide electronic support equipment (contains a library of radio frequency threats that allows the system to recognize the transmission of foreign radio signals), a system controlled countermeasures to infrared-guided missiles and the active decoy target Sparc, which Elettronica plans to complete by the end of 2017. In addition, a laser warning system will be purchased from a third-party manufacturer to warn the crew of an attack by laser-guided missiles.
Just like the British Air Force RC-135W electronic warfare aircraft described above, the French Air Force's TransAllianz C-160G2 Gabriel radio reconnaissance aircraft can assist in the fight against IS, while collecting general RTR data, possibly related to the Syrian air defense system. According to Thales, the C-160G2 aircraft, of which the French Air Force has two, are equipped with an AST system for collecting RTR data on land, air and sea radars in the frequency range from 250 MHz to 24, 25 GHz. Meanwhile, the radio intelligence data is collected by the EPICEA (Automatic Listening Center) subsystem, also supplied by Thales.
Other major European suppliers of electronic warfare systems have also been quite active in recent years, including Airbus, which delivered its AN / AAR-60 (V) 2 MILDS-F missile attack warning system to the Netherlands Air Force in 2016. Last spring, the company announced that it is equipping its F-16AM / BM fighters with the same systems. The number of systems supplied remains classified, although the Dutch Air Force operates 61 such aircraft. The AN / AAR-60 (V) 2 system uses an infrared detection device to detect the hot exhaust plume of an approaching air-to-air / surface-to-air missile. As soon as the AN / AAR-60 (V) 2 system detects an approaching missile and determines its trajectory, it initiates a release of countermeasures to protect the aircraft and warns the crew so that it can initiate an anti-missile maneuver. The system can deal with a variety of threats, identifying the most dangerous of them, and using defenses against them first. The system includes several sensors, each of which has a field of view of 120 degrees; they are installed around the perimeter of the aircraft, thus providing circular coverage.
While the Netherlands Air Force upgrades its F-16AM / BM fighters with new self-defense systems, the Swedish company Saab equips the new JAS-39E Gripen fighters, which were introduced a year ago, with its BOL-700 self-defense system. This system was developed from the outset with the expectation of maintaining a small effective reflection area of this aircraft. This is achieved either by installing the BOL-700 completely inside the housing, or on a suspension unit. The JAS-39E will enter service with the Brazilian and Swedish air forces early in the next decade. This machine for shooting infrared traps and dipole reflectors will be controlled by Saab's multifunctional electronic warfare system, which is also installed on JAS-39E fighters. As for the countermeasures of the BOL-700 system, then, most likely, it will drop one-time digital radio frequency decoys BriteCloud DRFM developed by Leonardo (Selex). They are designed to be fired from standard 55mm squibs. During the flight, the self-defense system determines and prioritizes the transmission of extraneous radio signals, which it repeats in such a way as to divert the sources of these radio signals from the aircraft.
The Danish company Terma offers its AN / ALQ-213 computerized electronic warfare system. In short, the AN / ALQ-213 system integrates all self-defense systems of a combat aircraft and allows them to be controlled from a single controller in the cockpit. According to the head of the air systems direction in the company, to date, more than 3,000 AN / ALQ-213 systems have been delivered for aircraft and helicopters of many armies of the world. He added that Terma is currently fulfilling a contract for the supply of the AN / ALQ-213 system to be installed on board the NH-90NFH / TTN medium transport helicopters in service with the Dutch Navy and Air Force. The first AN / ALQ-213 systems for equipping these aircraft have already been delivered, and deliveries are expected to be completed by the end of 2017. The AN / ALQ-213 system has already been installed on board the AH-64D Apache attack helicopters of the Dutch Air Force, as well as on board the P-8A / I Poseidon coastal patrol aircraft of the Indian, Australian, South Korean and American Air Forces.
Israel
Along with the industry of Europe and North America, Israel is a well-known center of advanced development in the field of electronic warfare. Elbit Systems and Rafael Advanced Defense Systems along with Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) are very active in this area. The latter has supplied airborne electronic warfare systems for three Gulfstream G-550 Shavit business jets from the Israeli Air Force, which collect RTR data. The detailed composition of the equipment of these aircraft is not known for sure, although according to some reports, they are equipped with a set, which includes radio and electronic reconnaissance systems from IAI ELTA Systems. Official IAI documents show the EL / I-3001 AISIS (Airborne Integrated Signals Intelligence System) on the G-550, albeit without the Israel Air Force markings. That is, the G-550 Shavit aircraft either has an EL / I-3001 AISIS system on board, or is equipped with an RTR set based on this system.
In addition to strategic and operational platforms such as the G-550 Shavit, IAI supplies systems to protect combat aircraft, such as the EL / L-8260 modular system, which standardly includes either an RWR (Radar Warning Receiver), or a device for warning and determining the source of radar exposure RWL (Radar Warning and Locating), plus an electronic warfare system controller. These basic equipment can be combined with the MAWS (Missile Approach Warning System) and a third-party laser warning system, automatic missile defense systems, towed radar trap for countering surface-to-air and air-to-air missiles, as well as a system of controlled counteraction to infrared means. The EL / L-8265 system from IAI includes RWR and RWL components. According to Rami Navon, project manager for electronic warfare systems at IAI, one of the most important and necessary requirements for a system is its ability to detect radars with a low probability of intercepting signals. This means that any receiver mounted on a military aircraft must be able to detect weak radio transmissions that are common on such radars.
Mr. Navon also said that “any modern RWR receiver should be able to locate a specific radar in order to safely avoid it, accurately jam or use kinetic means in the form of surface-to-air missiles and air-to-air missiles against this threat. or anti-radar missile . Navon noted IAI's development of a new technology called Spatial ELINT. This approach has been improved with the aim of integrating into the company's electronic warfare systems, which can simultaneously study large volumes of airspace and detect extraneous sources of radio signals. When these threats are detected, their location is determined and jammed with accurate directional signal transmission, while the electronic warfare system simultaneously continues to monitor the area in search of other threats.
There are other systems in the IAI portfolio, EL / L-8212 and EL / L-8222, the fundamental difference between them lies in the physical dimensions. The EL / L-8212 system is designed for relatively small fighters such as the F-16 family, while the EL / L-8222 system is optimized for larger platforms such as the F-15 tactical fighters. Both systems EL / L-8212 and EL / L-8222 can be installed on the attachment points of the Raytheon AIM-9 Sidewinder and AIM-120 AMRAAM (Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile) missiles, as well as the AIM-7M Sparrow AAM, at the same time, the fully operational modes of flight of the carrier aircraft are preserved, as if the container were another missile.
In addition to IAI in Israel, one can also note a division of Elbit - Elisra, which produces, according to its statement, “the United EW Suite electronic warfare kit, equipped with one central quick-detachable processor unit for processing all the electronic warfare kit functions (for example, radar, missile and laser attack warning, dropping dipole reflectors and false heat targets). This approach allows for simpler installation and integration (fewer quick-change units means less weight and less energy) and lower system cost and maintenance.” Along with this system, the firm provides “combat mission support tools for programming threat libraries and debriefing. Electronic warfare tools allow the end user to quickly and continuously update the threat parameters independently. The company admits that along with manned aircraft, drones also need self-defense and electronic warfare systems. This led to the development of the UAV Light SPEAR jammer, which was sold to several unnamed customers. For manned aircraft, the company has developed an All-in-Small electronic warfare kit in a single quick-change unit. Along with the control radar, missile attack warning systems and laser irradiation plus means of dropping the electronic warfare system, the All-in-Small system can be connected to a controlled anti-IR system in order to combat infrared-guided missiles.
The Electronic Warfare Community Association defines electronic warfare as "the struggle for control of the electromagnetic spectrum … with the aim of providing friendly military forces in wartime with the ability to fully exploit the potential of the spectrum and at the same time deprive the enemy of the ability to use it." The products described above play an important role in making this maxim a reality. After examining the current systems, in the next part, let us turn our view on how airborne electronic warfare will develop in the future.
Articles in this series:
Jamming war. Part 1
Jamming war. Part 2
