EW Europe 2018: ERA sees expanding role for passive sensors

[Zarvan]

Czech sensor specialists ERA is seeing expanded uses for its VERA-NG passive radar technologybeyond traditional EW functions, evolving to surveillance missions and utilisation in ground-based air defence (GBAD) networks.

In the current security environment where radars are seen as potentially vulnerable to sophisticated electronic or kinetic attack, militaries are seeking ways to bolster their detection capabilities and augment active sensor technology.

Traditionally, the VERA-NG has been used for electronic intelligence gathering; soaking up the RF emissions from various platforms to build an electronic order of battle as well as sovereign threat libraries.

‘From the 1990s our main use case was electronic warfare, building emitter databases,’ said Vojtech Stejskal, who is responsible for strategy development at the Czech company. ‘But from this time it has evolved to something else, now there is another use case which is surveillance.’

Owing to the fact they do not emit any energy, passive systems remain hidden from electronic intelligence systems or anti-radiation missiles and can still function against, and even locate, jamming signals.

A key example of the technology’s growing use is the company’s €16 million contract in 2014 to deliver two VERA-NG systems to the NATO Communications and Information Agency, which will be fielded initially in northern Italy to support alliance air operations alongside active sensor systems.

NATO plans to utilise the VERA-NG as a Deployable Passive ESM Tracker, meaning the alliance can transport the passive sensors to operational theatres as part of a deployable Air Command and Control System.

The system can track 200 real time targets up to a range of 400km, according to ERA. The frequency range for the receivers is anywhere from 50MHz to 18GHz, allowing the technology to detect a range of emissions from land, sea or air targets.

The VERA-NG is being optimised for NATO requirements, which focus on surveillance and automatic target identification. The inclusion of passive sensors into NATO’s air operations architecture is uncommon and has presented challenges, said Stejskal.

‘It’s quite a challenging project because such a technology was never standardised [to determine how] you could integrate such a system,’ he explained. ‘So at this moment it’s not only about delivering this type of technology but also changing STANAGs, CONOPS and all parts that are necessary to make the system operational.’

Shephard reported in April that Swedish Defence Materiel Administration had also trialled the VERA-NG in an air defence role. The Nordic country is investing in its air defence assets, including new Patriot batteries, and is examining ways it can reduce its reliance on vulnerable active sensors.

Indonesia has also reportedly selected VERA-NG as part of efforts to strengthen defences around its air bases.

Stejskal also explained to Shephard that he saw an expanding role in GBAD.

‘GBAD is a very hot topic right now,’ he explained. ‘The key [for GBAD] is to be silent and only be active in the moment you need to be. So they have found this type of sensor to be very valuable and we are having discussions with multiple GBAD units that this sensor could be part of their [organisation], so you have missile system, radar and a passive component.’

VERA-NG consists of four receiving stations, where one of them is central. The system is also capable of detecting continuous wave emitters, especially datalinks from UAVs.

The VERA-NG has lineage dating back to the 1960s when the first generation of passive sensors were developed by Czechoslovakian company Tesla (not to be confused with Tesla Motors). That government entity was sold off in the 1990s and ERA was born, carrying on the tradition of passive sensor development for both military and civil applications.

https://www.shephardmedia.com/news/...ope-2018-era-sees-expanding-role-passive-sen/