Mercury Computer Systems, Inc., a trusted ISR subsystems provider, announced that it is bringing to market an open, standards-based solution for the Active Electronic Warfare (EW) domain. The Mercury offering exploits the multi-plane capabilities and open standard characteristics of OpenVPX, implemented in a 6U form factor to deliver maximum flexibility and performance for both ground mobile and fixed ground platforms. Customization, integration and test services are available to support layering an application onto the 6U modules for faster time to market and deployment of new Active EW capabilities.
"We are pleased to be able to expand our capabilities in the EW space," said Randy Dean, Vice President of Product Line Management at Mercury Computer Systems, Inc. "For example; one new module is specifically configured to deliver low-latency control processing in a multi-plane architecture for Active EW applications. Another module is configured to support XMCs for RF tuning, A/D conversion and D/A conversion, providing those cards with a high bandwidth, subsystem interface. The XMCs are optimized for low power to maximize SWAP constraints," Dean added.
Implementing an Active EW solution requires that several steps are tightly synchronized so that they can operate together in nearly-instantaneous real-time. These steps are to first detect the enemy signal, then identify both its operational bandwidth and physical location, and finally to transmit a signal that will either confuse the enemy or prevent his actions. What this requires from a signal processing subsystem is first, very fast RF tuning, then digital receivers supporting a high level of signal integrity, and lastly the ability to transmit a range of digitally controlled RF signals. Because these Active EW systems must be deployable in a variety of situations, they must be configurable for deployment on different types of platform, under different kinds of environmental conditions, as well as meeting a range of size, weight and power (SWaP) requirements.
The need for these types of solutions is driven by conditions on the modern battlefield, where defeating enemy threats and protecting our warfighters sometimes requires sophisticated capabilities. Active EW systems can be used to counter Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) and missiles that rely on radar-based targeting.
Source: Mercury Computer Systems
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