Innovative EW radar integrated system

Abstract

The present invention relates to a system designed for transmitting and receiving radio frequency signals, comprising a radar resource configured to perform radar functions, an EW resource configured to perform electronic warfare functions, and a shared resource operable by the radar resource to perform radar functions and operable by the EW resource to perform electronic warfare functions, wherein the system comprises a plurality of hardware resources and a plurality of software resources.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] [Related Applications] This application claims the priority of European Patent Application No. 23425014.0 filed on April 19, 2023, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] This application relates to an innovative EW radar integration system.

Background Art

[0003] As is widely known, radar (RADAR; an acronym for "Radio Detection And Ranging") is a system that uses radio frequencies, particularly the microwave electromagnetic spectrum, to determine the position (i.e., distance (or range), azimuth angle, elevation angle) and speed of both fixed targets and moving targets such as airplanes, ships, and vehicles.

[0004] Radar is an active system that transmits (TX) and receives (RX) signals. The changes in the characteristics (time, frequency, phase domain) of the received signal and the characteristics of the transmitted signal are processed by appropriate processing, and the parameters of the target are determined.

[0005] On the other hand, as is widely known, the term "electronic warfare" (EW) refers to systems and technologies aimed at gaining tactical and strategic, or war-time superiority through the use of the electromagnetic spectrum.

[0006] More specifically, electronic warfare technologies are mainly classified into three categories.

[0007] The first category is ES (an acronym for "Electronic Support"), a branch of electronic warfare whose role is to detect, analyze, and support threats present in the environment, and to immediately recognize them by classifying, recording, identifying, and locating radio frequency (RF) band transmitters of hostile military systems. ES systems are passive devices; they do not emit radiation, meaning they are electronically stationary while in operation.

[0008] The second category is EA (an acronym for "Electronic Attack"), which is the field of EW that applies to weapon systems, radar systems, and radio communications. In EA, electromagnetic energy (EM), direct energy, or anti-radiation weapons are used to attack structures or equipment with the aim of reducing, neutralizing, or destroying the enemy's combat capabilities. EA is divided into offensive and defensive depending on the mission performed. EA systems can be active (radiating) or passive (re-radiating).

[0009] The third category is EP (an acronym for "Electronic Protection"), which is a branch of EW that plays a role in mitigating or eliminating the impact of enemy electronic attacks on friendly sensors such as radar and radio equipment. EP systems are passive devices; they do not emit radiation and are electronically stationary while in operation. [Overview of the project]

[0010] In recent years, there have been numerous attempts to integrate EW (Electromagnetic Weapon) and radar into a single device in avionics and naval systems. However, unfortunately, the design of these systems has focused more on RF data fusion and high-speed exchange of information and commands than on developing a truly integrated, modular, and scalable EW radar configuration based on the sharing of common resources. As a result, satisfactory results have not been achieved in various operational scenarios.

[0011] Based on the above description, the applicant felt that it was necessary to conduct very thorough research in order to attempt to develop an EW radar integrated system that could overcome or mitigate at least partially the shortcomings and limitations of known types of technology, and thus arrived at the present invention.

[0012] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an innovative EW radar integrated system that can overcome or mitigate, at least in part, the shortcomings and limitations of currently known technologies.

[0013] The aforementioned and other objectives are achieved by the present invention. The present invention relates to a system as defined in the appended claims. [Means for solving the problem]

[0014] In particular, the present invention relates to a system designed to transmit and receive radio frequency signals, comprising multiple hardware and software resources, the hardware and software resources are • Radar resources configured to perform radar functions, • EW resources configured to perform electronic warfare functions, • Shared resources that are operable by radar resources to perform radar functions and by EW resources to perform electronic warfare functions. Regarding systems equipped with these features.

[0015] Preferably, the shared resource is a radar-type resource that is operable by a radar resource to perform radar functions and by an EW resource to perform electronic warfare functions.

[0016] Preferably, the shared resources include both radar resources capable of performing radar functions and EW resources capable of performing electronic warfare functions.

[0017] Preferably, the shared resource includes one or more antennas, and more preferably, an active electron scanning array.

[0018] Preferably, EW resources are integrated with radar resources, preferably, A radar resource includes a radar scheduler (6) configured to schedule and manage activities performed by the radar resource. • EW resources include an EW scheduler (5) configured to schedule and manage the activities performed by the EW resources. Hardware and software resources also include an EW radar scheduler (4) configured to manage and coordinate the radar scheduler (6) and the EW scheduler (5). [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0019] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram of a first EW radar integrated system according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a schematic diagram of a second EW radar integrated system according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] This figure schematically illustrates the use of a high-level scheduler for managing and coordinating an EW scheduler and a radar scheduler according to one aspect of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0020] To facilitate understanding of the present invention, several preferred embodiments are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings (not to scale). However, some embodiments are provided merely as examples and are not absolutely limiting or restrictive.

[0021] The following description is provided to enable a person skilled in the art to understand, manufacture, and use the present invention. Various modifications to the described embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles disclosed herein are applicable to other embodiments and applications without departing from the scope of protection of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.

[0022] Therefore, the present invention should not be limited to the only embodiment described and illustrated, but should be given the broadest scope of protection in accordance with the features defined by the appended claims.

[0023] The present invention aims to improve the effectiveness level of integrated mission solutions in the field of spectrum-dependent systems (especially radar and electronic warfare), and to manage an operation called "Electromagnetic Spectrum Operations" (EMSO) with a new approach.

[0024] More specifically, the present invention relates to a functional architecture that enables the implementation of an architectural layer that treats a single radar subsystem and an EW subsystem (conventional approach) as functions of a single system (new approach), designs an integrated solution incorporating innovative functions that are only possible from the start through cooperation / integration, and at the same time fundamentally overcomes the problems arising from integrating individually developed subsystems retrospectively.

[0025] Different from the conventionally known systems, in the present invention, the design is based on the sharing of common resources and the centralized management of the operation of the integrated system, and focuses precisely on the development of a functionally accurate EW-radar integration. The integration of RE data, the high-speed exchange of information and commands are only part of the problems to be addressed, and in fact, they are an inevitable result of the new architectural approach.

[0026] In conducting modern operations, the collaboration between AESA (Active Electronically Scanned Array) radar and EW systems can play a crucial and innovative role. By sharing high- and low-level processes / functions already present in the EW system, the performance of a range of EW and radar functions (which can be performed even if less powerful, using separate sensors / frontends for EW and radar) is significantly improved. Furthermore, a range of "new functions" that are only possible through collaboration within a properly integrated system (utilizing AESA) are realized.

[0027] More specifically, by designing the EWR (i.e., EW + radar) system as a single system from the outset, a new system is created that can deliver innovative performance that cannot be achieved individually with the first two subsystems.

[0028] Below, we will show the functions for which improvements are achieved, namely, EW or radar, which are already functionally capable, even if the results are inferior; ·EW: *EA (Electronic Attack); *ES (Electronic Support) upgrade; ...Even when detecting radiation that is almost impossible to observe, the radar advance factor (RAF) recovers. ·radar: *Improved EP (Electronic Protection) ...Adding "new features" that are only possible through proper integration within a system (utilizing AESA) ·EW: * Precise distance measurement of the emitter ·radar: *Non-Cooperative Target Recognition (NCTR) * Passively operating radar mode

[0029] In addition to what has been described above, the integration of EW functionality with radar enables a variety of "smart" implementations, such as: (1) Utilizing identification information (ESM capabilities) that can optimize resource scheduling, transmitted waveforms, and implemented operational techniques; (2) Utilization of radar AESA apertures to enable improved data correlation processes in order to feature the same angular accuracy; (3) Alternating passive mode using LPD (Low Probability of Detection) emission, which allows for very high-precision target tracking and is extremely unlikely to be intercepted.

[0030] Figure 1 schematically shows the high-level architecture of a first EW radar integrated system according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The first EW radar integrated system includes an AESA radar 1 and a DASS (an acronym for "Defensive Aid Sub-System") 2.

[0031] The AESA radar 1 includes an AESA 11, an antenna control power supply (antenna control supply module) 12, a multi-channel receiver 13, a processor 14, and a radar-DASS interface 15.

[0032] DASS2 includes an ESM processor 21, an ESM front end 22, an ESM antenna 23, an ECM processor 24, a technique generator 25, a waveform generator 26, and one or more ECM AESA 27.

[0033] In the architecture shown in Figure 1, the two EW subsystems (i.e., DASS2) and Radar 1 generate a third "new" subsystem while maintaining their identity through the sharing of hardware (HW) and algorithmic processes. This is made possible by the flexible and modular design of the hardware and software (SW) solutions for the radar and EW systems, and by integrating the two subsystems by directly connecting the radar's AESA antenna to the low-power jamming section and the receiving / processing section.

[0034] Figure 2 schematically shows a high-level architecture of a second EW radar integrated system according to a second embodiment of the present invention. This system can be seen as a scaled-up by-product of the first embodiment, designed for less large-scale applications or smaller platforms.

[0035] As shown in Figure 2, in this case, the AESA radar 3 consists of an AESA 31, an antenna control power supply (antenna control supply module) 32, a multi-channel receiver 33, a processor 34, and an EW-Radar module (ERM) 35, the ERM 35 including an ESM processor 351, an ESM front end 352, an ECM processor 353, a technique generator 354, and a waveform generator 355.

[0036] As can be easily inferred, the second architecture mentioned above utilizes a new module integrated into the AESA radar 3 (EW radar module - ERM35) that hosts the EW functionality integrated into the AESA radar 3. (This solution can also be seen as a spin-off of the previously mentioned solution.)

[0037] In any of the aforementioned cases, the design of the integration of the described system must also take into account the highly dynamic nature of the system. These properties result in complex interactions between layers of the system occurring at multiple levels, along with different time constraints.

[0038] As mentioned above, a complex mechanism (often called a scheduler) is created that includes a resource management process that handles both pre-programming for activity optimization (predictive system) and real-time performance of activities involving the resolution of unpredictable conflicts (reactive system).

[0039] Generally, the components of an EW system (RWR and jammer) are already integrated and managed by a common scheduler at the EW level, ensuring operational consistency across the entire EW section. Multifunction radars also have schedulers that manage the aforementioned operations.

[0040] Since each of the aforementioned systems depends on the allocation of spectral portions over a certain period (dwell), they can be managed through a high-level (predictive and reactive) common scheduler to manage and coordinate the necessary EW activities within the scope of the radar scan strategy.

[0041] Therefore, the presence of a centralized scheduler in the aforementioned type of modern digital multifunction system enables the correct operation of subsystems and guarantees their performance.

[0042] Figure 3 schematically illustrates the use of the higher-level scheduler (referred to as the EW-RADAR manager in Figure 3 and indicated by reference numeral 4) that manages and coordinates the EW scheduler 5 and the radar scheduler 6, as described above.

[0043] Based on the above description, several innovative features and numerous technical advantages of the present invention will be immediately apparent to those skilled in the art.

[0044] In conclusion, while the above-described invention refers to particularly precise examples of embodiments, it is important to note that the present invention is not limited to the examples of embodiments described above, and all variations, modifications, or simplifications included in the appended claims are within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A system designed to transmit and receive radio frequency signals, Equipped with multiple hardware and software resources, The hardware resources and software resources are, Radar resources configured to perform radar functions, EW resources configured to perform electronic warfare functions, A shared resource that is operable by the radar resource to perform radar functions and operable by the EW resource to perform electronic warfare functions, A system equipped with these features.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the shared resource is a radar-type resource that is operable by the radar resource to perform radar functions and operable by the EW resource to perform electronic warfare functions.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the shared resources include both a radar-type resource capable of performing radar functions and an EW-type resource capable of performing electronic warfare functions.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the shared resource includes one or more antennas.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein the shared resource includes an active electron scanning array.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the radar resource is configured to also perform electronic warfare functions, and the EW resource is configured to also perform radar functions.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the EW resources are integrated with the radar resources.

8. The radar resource includes a radar scheduler (6) configured to schedule and manage activities performed by the radar resource. The EW resource includes an EW scheduler (5) configured to schedule and manage activities performed by the EW resource. The system according to claim 1, wherein the hardware resources and software resources include an EW radar scheduler (4) configured to manage and coordinate the radar scheduler (6) and the EW scheduler (5).

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