Armada’s monthly roundup of all the latest news in the military communications product, programme and operational domains.
New Horizons
Sentrycs launched its Horizon counter-uninhabited aerial vehicle system on 30th January. The company stated in its press release that Horizon uses Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology in its software. The software detects UAVs (Uninhabited Aerial Vehicles) that “were previously undetectable” according to Sentrycs.
The company stated in a press release that Horizon analyses the prevailing, local electromagnetic environment. It will identify radio burst transmissions that “match the characteristics of datalinks emitted by drones, remote controls, or other communications devices.” AI is employed to analyse and extract patterns from previously unknown communications, something the company claims has not previously been achieved. As a result, Sentrycs claims the system can detect hitherto unencountered UAVs without recourse to a threat library.
Audelia Boker, Sentrycs’ vice president of marketing, told Armada that Horizon “is agnostic to frequencies and will detect DIY (Do-It-Yourself) drones on any frequency.” In an urban environment, Horizon can detect UAV threats at a range of two kilometres (1.2 miles). This range increases to four kilometres (2.4 miles) in rural areas. Ms. Boker continued that Horizon will be made available to customers by the end of March.
New Troposcatter Transceiver
On 13th February, Comtech announced the launch of its new Multipath Radio (MPR). Comtech claims the radio is the first ever terrestrial, integrated, high data rate over-the-horizon transceiver of its kind. Alongside military users, the company is aiming the MPR at the first responder and commercial sectors.
The radio uses troposcatter techniques to achieve Beyond Line-of-Sight (BLOS) ranges of up to 240 kilometres (150 miles). Alongside BLOS, the MPR provides line-of-sight and obstructed line-of-sight links. Comtech says the radio is ready for use in under ten minutes.
During a recent demonstration in Florida, the MPR provided data rates of 14 megabits-per-second/mbps across a range of 163km (101 miles). This was achieved using half a watt of transmission power, the company added. The radio also participated in the US Navy’s Silent Storm exercise in 2024. The MPR provided a ship-to-shore connection for an uninhabited surface vehicle.
Daniel Gizinski, president of Comtech’s satellite and space business segment, told Armada that the radio uses frequencies of 4.4 gigahertz to five gigahertz. Data throughputs of between 0.95mbps and 210mbps are achievable. Mr. Gizinski added that MPR development is now complete and “field testing with prospective customers is ongoing.”
Moreover, an undisclosed North Atlantic Treaty Organisation has placed an order for the transceiver.
by Dr. Thomas Withington
