Armada’s monthly round-up of all the latest electronic warfare news in the product, programme and operational domains.
New Satellite for Unseenlabs
Unseenlabs plans to launch a new signals sensing satellite to augment the existing spacecraft it has in orbit, the company told Armada. A total of 15 satellites comprise Unseenlabs’ constellation, according to the European Space Agency. These spacecraft collect data on radar transmissions in the S-band (2.3 gigahertz/GHz to 2.5GHz/2.7GHz to 3.7GHz) and X-band (8.5GHz to 10.68GHz) wavebands. Principle targets for Unseenlabs’ surveillance include radar signals from maritime vessels. The company provides this information to undisclosed commercial and government customers. During this year’s Euronaval exhibition which took place in Paris between 4th and 7th November, Unseenlabs told Armada the new satellite will be added to the constellation in 2026. Unlike the company’s previous spacecraft, the new vehicle will not be a nano satellite. Traditionally, nano satellites have a launch weight below 20 kilograms/kg (44 pounds/lb). This new satellite, which has yet to be named, will weight circa 150kgs (330lbs). Unseenlabs’ frequency catchment area will be enlarged via the new satellite’s capabilities. The spacecraft will collect signals across a waveband of one to twelve gigahertz. Officials stated that the new satellite will also let the company collect data on land-based emitters of interest.
U/SME-400 takes the stage
Last month we reported that Saab had launched the Sirius Compact L20C Electronic Support Measure (ESM). The company took the opportunity of this year’s Euronaval exhibition held in Paris between 4th and 7th November to unveil a new naval ESM. The U/SME-400 ESM family can equip surface and subsurface vessels. Saab representatives told Armada that the U/SME-400 series has a fully digital architecture. The product family includes the U/SME-450 which covers wavebands of one gigahertz/GHz to 18GHz. All U/SME-400 variants provide 16GHz of acquisition Instantaneous Bandwidth (IBW). The U/SME-450 provides 16GHz IBW for Direction Finding (DF). The U/SME-420 covers the same wavebands as the U/SME-420 with eight gigahertz of DF IBW. Finally, the U/SME-410 covers wavebands of two gigahertz to 18GHz with 0.5GHz of DF IBW. The representatives continued that the U/SME-450 is ideal for large surface combatants. Smaller vessels are well placed to use the other variants for blue water and littoral missions. The company will complete its development of the U/SME-400 by the end of the year and is already seeing interest from potential customers.
New RWR for US Army Apaches
Lockheed Martin has shared more details with Armada concerning the company’s selection to provide the AN/APR-48B radio frequency interferometer and radar warning receiver to the US Army. The AN/APR-48B has been developed to equip the force’s Boeing AH-64E Apache Guardian attack helicopter. The company told Armada, via a written statement, that development work on the AN/APR-48B commenced immediately “upon contract award and is expected to be completed within the three-year period of performance for the contract.” Lockheed Martin received the contract for the AN/APR-48B’s development in mid-October. The company has teamed with Intel’s Altera subsidiary and is using the latter’s MCP-2 chip in the AN/APR-48B’s architecture. The chip “provides significantly improved size, weight, power, radio frequency performance and processing capability,” the statement continued. In addition, the use of the chip “enables Lockheed Martin to both improve performance over the legacy system (equipping the AH-64E) and add new functionality … for processing and identification of advanced threats.”
by Dr. Thomas Withington
