The Polish Land Forces (PLF) are equipped with diagnostic-repair shelters (pol. AD-R) designated to conduct the diagnostic test and repair of telecommunication devices. Surprisingly, there is lack of similar solutions when it comes to contemporary Electronic Warfare (EW) systems, which are equipped with specific devices. On ad-hoc basis this lack of capabilities can be compensated for with diagnostic and repair post of the AD-R shelter, designated for conducting diagnostic tests and repairs of radio devices that are in use in the PLF. However, available measurement equipment does not fully cover the frequency range and power levels typical for contemporary EW systems.
Some improvement on this situation may be brought about by a new project aimed at designing a modernized AD-R shelter, named ADR-K. This shelter will have a wider range of measurement capabilities in relation to frequency ranges and generated power levels. However, the diagnostic equipment of this shelter will make it possible to perform only basic tests of the devices applied in EW systems which are used by the PLF. Neither extensive tests of these devices nor diagnostics of EW equipment used by the Navy or the Air Forces are possible.
In the paper we discuss the needs for the diagnostic tests of devices used in typical subsystems of the EW system. We present the capability of the Military Communication Institute in the area of test-checks and calibration of direction finders. Finally, we characterize the capabilities of AD-R and ADR-K shelters in relation to typical EW system and their equipment.
The problem of spectrum management is relevant both for civilian and military systems, but it is much more complex when coalition operations are considered. Some limitations to efficient data exchange over radio channels are caused by the static frequency assignment method, inefficient frequency usage and lack of a common spectrum operational picture in NATO coalition operations.
These problems could not be solved at the national level, thus it was of high importance to take up the discussion and to make a NATO-coordinated effort. For this purpose NATO has established the Research Task Group on Electromagnetic Environment Situational Awareness (NATO IST-146 RTG-069) aiming to work out the concept of the Radio Environment Maps (REM) enabling their users to obtain the spectrum operational picture and to minimize the level of interferences between wireless systems of coalition forces. One of the main goals of the research group is to define the architecture of the system and to specify interfaces to other systems in the area of frequency planning and constant spectrum monitoring. It is assumed that the function of the sensors may be performed by dedicated radio receivers, spectrum analysers, cognitive radios and Electronic Warfare (EW) or Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance (ISR) systems.
In the paper we discuss the concept of the REM and the problem of the data delivery from other systems, e.g. EW systems equipped with a variety of sensors. We also present exemplary maps created using different methods and analyze how the deployment of sensors affects the quality of maps.
Modern systems of radio communication planning have two aims: ensuring both internal and external compatibility of the system (i.e. avoiding both interference within the network and jamming or interference by other sources). Currently, systems of planning concentrate only on ensuring internal compatibility of the radio system and avoiding usual interference from external sources. The part of ensuring external compatibility of the radio system related to avoiding jamming was carried out by using appropriate mode of radios, ex. frequency hopping mode, free channel search mode, etc. With this approach, we had no information about efficiency of the methods used. In particular, we had no information whether we have made the radio nets immune to jamming. We present a model of planning frequency assignment by a mobile military communication network taking into account not only internal interference of planner's own system but also potential presence of a rational opponent.
To do this, we use dynamic games with incomplete information and the concepts of belief distorted Nash equilibria, both in deterministic and stochastic form of expectations. This analysis allows us to find remedies to several types of behaviour of the opponent. From theoretical point of view, in existing approaches, the problems of frequency assignment for a mobile military communication network in various time instants are treated as independent static optimization problems with only one decision maker. First of all, we have to be conscious, that we face not a simple optimization problem, but a game: besides our communication network, there may be an opponent, whose aim is to detect and/or jam our transmission. Besides, a dynamic character of interaction has to be taken into account: using a plan of frequencies defined a priori and switching to the same reserve plans in predetermined way whenever jamming appears, makes it possible for the counteracting unit of the opponent to uncover the rules of our behaviour. Using dynamic game theory, in particular dynamic games with incomplete information, allows us to utilize information about rules of behaviour of the opponent during the process of frequency planning. The side which takes the dynamic character of the decision making problem into account as the first can benefit from this fact.
The rapid development of systems which use wireless technologies causes the escalation of the spectrum shortage problem. That is why the concept of coordinated dynamic spectrum management has appeared. It improves efficiency of the spectrum use and makes radio communication systems more resistant to interferences. The main element of the proposed solution is a frequency broker which provides frequency assignment plans for radio networks. Direct communication between the frequency broker and radio networks enables fast change of radio data. This paper presents an anti-interference method based on dynamic spectrum management, which is an implementation and extension of IST- 104/RTG-050 research task group “Cognitive Radio in NATO II” recommendations. The solution presented by the authors was tested in emulated and real environment. The designed algorithm of frequency assignment can effectively prevent interferences (including jamming) thanks to the implementation of monitoring mechanisms capable of obtaining information about the current state of radio channels from radio networks. Directions for further development of frequency planning algorithm based on belief distorted Nash equilibria for deterministic or stochastic beliefs were proposed.
KEYWORDS: Modulation, Computer security, Quadrature amplitude modulation, Telecommunications, Cryptography, Signal processing, Antennas, Defense and security, RF communications, Control systems
Rapid development of advanced military command and control systems results in a dynamic growth in demand for data rate. One of the methods that make it possible to deal with the problem of limited capacity of military wireless systems is the use of broadband radios. Another one is the increase in the capacity of narrowband radios by implementing advanced modulation systems. Apart from remarkable benefits, such as the increase in system bit rate, there are also certain limitations since such radios are more sensitive to radio-electronic countermeasures, and the operation in the broad band makes it easier for the enemy to detect the radio emission. In such a situation, it is essential to define again and implement the transmission security functions into modern radios consistently. In this article, some current NATO activities are discussed, regarding the definitions of transmission security functions and the way of implementing them in radios, while paying special attention to a new element, that is to AIE radio cryptography (On Air Encryption). In the paper, the authors present an exemplary implementation of the functions in the Cognitive Radio Demonstrator using R-450C radio, the results of the examinations as well as the conclusions.
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