ERA introduces its Silent Guard mobile demonstrator of passive surveillance systems at IDET 2015 4005155

 
 
IDET 2015
Official Online Show Daily News and Official Web TV
International Defence & Security Technologies Fair

19 - 21 May 2015
Brno, Czech Republic
 
ERA at IDET 2015
 
 
ERA introduces its Silent Guard mobile demonstrator of passive surveillance systems at IDET 2015
ERA a.s., based in Pardubice, Czech Republic, is a leading company in next-generation surveillance and flight tracking solutions with proven multilateration and ADS-B (Automatic Dependent Surveillance – Broadcast) technologies. At IDET 2015, ERA is focusing on a newly developed product, the Silent Guard mobile demonstrator of passive surveillance systems.
     
Silent Guard mobile demonstrator passive surveillance systems ERA IDET 2013 Czech Republic defence exhibition 001ERA's Silent Guard mobile demonstrator of passive surveillance system and Passive Coherent Location demonstrator antenna
     
ERA has recently developed a Multistatic Primary Surveillance Radar (MSPSR) passive or else Passive Coherent Location (PCL) system. Its demonstrator placed in mobile wagon called Silent Guard is another significant milestone in MSPSR technology development project.

Long term experience with military Electronic Support Measurement (ESM) systems such as Tamara and the recent VERA-NG has served as motivation for ERA Company to continue with research dedicated to primary passive radar – technology usually known as PCL, in Eurocontrol terminology MSPSR passive. In contrast to the ESM system which exploits a different kind of signal emissions generated by a target, the PCL utilises a reflected signal and is therefore able to detect non-cooperative and quiet targets by means of Bistatic Radar principle. The system utilises up to eight element circular array antennas and commercial FM radio transmitters as illuminators of opportunity in order to detect and track airborne targets.

Similarly to primary radars, the PCL system utilises signals scattered by targets, but by virtue of bistatic RCS. The system remains fully passive, because the so-called transmitters of the opportunity concept are used for target illumination. The transmitter of opportunity is typically intended for analogue or digital radio or television broadcasting and is operated by a third party (usually a telecommunication authority). This is the reason why we usually speak about ‘exploiting’ these transmitters with a PCL system.

The PCL system is based on a bistatic radar, since the receiver and transmitter are spatially separated. The bistatic configuration is particularly suitable for detection of targets with small RCS and the property of non-electromagnetic emissions which makes them undetectable. The design of the target is devoted to minimizing signal reflections in the direction of illumination. If the transmitter is spatially separated from the receiver, these techniques are naturally less effective and detections become easier.

PCL system demonstrator developed in ERA is an FM based multistatic radar. It works with signals intended for commercial terrestrial radio broadcasting in band from 87.5 MHz to 108 MHz. The concept of so called ‘direct sampling’, i.e. sampling without any frequency down-conversion, is used. Consequently, only an simple analogue front end is needed which yields maximum cross channel coherency.