Electronic Intelligence (ELINT) systems are dedicated to obtaining as much information as possible from radar and electromagnetic sources present in a determined area. These systems are widely used in modern armies to detect, identify, and classify electromagnetic signals from RADARs, communication emitters, and hostile Jammers for threat intelligence characterization and analysis.

These ELINT detection systems are continually evolving as the radio frequency sources are constantly introducing sophisticated techniques that make adversary radar signals more difficult to detect. In modern Radar Detector Systems, radio frequency electronics plays a crucial role in the interception of radar signals and data processing detection algorithms are key to analyzing and determining the characteristics of the detected emitter signals.

Raytheon Deutschland GmbH has recently developed an Advanced Radar Detection System (ARDS), which is a software-defined receiver that leverages years of the company’s unique digital ELS technology expertise and ERZIA’s state-of-the-art RF subsystems to detect radar emissions – without itself emitting any signal and remaining undetected.

ERZIA has proudly collaborated with Raytheon Deutschland GmbH to develop and manufacture a unique RF subsystem, which is able to work with extremely large bandwidths, in several channels simultaneously, and able to select, convert, and filter the detected signals at an unprecedent speed. The custom RF unit from ERZIA is implemented in one of the main Line Replaceable Units (LRU) of the ARDS and interacts with the Antenna on the front end and directly with the Data Processing Unit (DPU) on the backend.

Alejandro Rodriguez, director of the technical development at ERZIA, expressed, “The development phase was very intense, as we wanted to introduce something completely new in a short time period, while taking advantage of what the most recent technologies can offer.” Rodriguez also mentioned, “The collaboration with our colleagues at Raytheon is exceptional with very fluid communication at all levels, so we were all able to consistently advance in the right direction together.”

The custom RF unit provided by ERZIA, as well as the rest of the system, has been designed and qualified based on testing in extreme environmental conditions. Now in production, these RF-devices can be implemented on a wide number of platforms, like the MQ-9 Predator drone where the system performance has also been validated. “It was important that ERZIA’s RF custom units were designed in a way that supports our ‘platform-agnostic’ approach for the system”, stated Sebastiaan Verton, Managing Director of Raytheon Deutschland GmbH.

David Díez, Managing Director at ERZIA said, “This program fits perfectly with ERZIA’s philosophy of developing and manufacturing extremely high-performance and reliable RF and microwave hardware. And, our excellent relationship with Raytheon enabled ERZIA to deliver the advanced technology required.”

To learn more:
The Silent Intelligence Finder - System sweeps ground radar emissions from high in the sky | Raytheon Intelligence & Space (raytheonintelligenceandspace.com)
Custom Integrated Microwave Assemblies | Erzia