Northrop Grumman COMINT System

Summary

This video explores advanced geolocation technology for detecting and tracking enemy radio signals across borders. It highlights the challenges of traditional systems, such as blind spots beneath aircraft and the clutter of multiple intermittent transmissions. Northrop Grumman’s innovative solution, featuring the Arrow processing system, enables rapid, single-ship geolocation with enhanced accuracy. By utilizing an array of uniquely shaped antennas and onboard processing, the system provides instant, precise location tracking of both stationary and moving emitters, redefining signals intelligence and offering tactical advantages for border defense.

Takeaways

• 😀 A nation's ability to defend its borders heavily depends on detecting and preparing for incoming threats, with surveillance platforms playing a crucial role in this process.
• 😀 Modern surveillance platforms can detect enemy radio signals across borders, but quickly geolocating the enemy positions is a challenging task.
• 😀 Traditional geolocation systems work by processing intersecting Lines of Bearing (LOBs) to determine the position of an emitter, but accuracy diminishes in certain conditions.
• 😀 Most conventional antenna arrays on aircraft are calibrated for high direction-finding accuracy but only at certain angles, creating a 'donut hole' underneath the aircraft where geolocation is impossible.
• 😀 To overcome the donut hole, aircraft must maintain a standoff distance from the emitter, which complicates geolocation tasks, especially when communication security protocols limit transmission times.
• 😀 Effective geolocation in complex scenarios requires multiple aircraft to simultaneously generate Lines of Bearing to accurately isolate and pinpoint the source of intermittent transmissions.
• 😀 When dealing with a network of field radios (vehicle-mounted or handheld), traditional systems struggle to filter out the clutter from multiple, intermittent communications, making accurate geolocation nearly impossible.
• 😀 A better solution is the Northrop Grumman COMINT system with advanced processing capabilities, allowing for rapid and accurate geolocation from a single aircraft during short transmissions.
• 😀 The Northrop Grumman system uses uniquely shaped antenna blades calibrated for both azimuth and elevation, enabling it to resolve the emitter's location with greater accuracy than traditional systems.
• 😀 With Arrow processing software, the system can pinpoint both stationary and moving emitters instantly, reducing the blind spot underneath the aircraft and improving geolocation precision.
• 😀 The Northrop Grumman COMINT system enhances tactical border surveillance by enabling aircraft to geolocate moving targets and multiple emitter networks in real-time, transforming the field of signals intelligence.

Q & A

What is the main challenge in detecting and geolocating enemy signals across borders?

The main challenge lies in quickly geolocating the enemy positions after detecting their radio signals. While platforms can easily detect signals, accurately pinpointing the emitter's location remains complex due to various technical limitations, such as blind spots and interference from multiple sources.

How do conventional antenna arrays on aircraft work in terms of geolocation?

Conventional antenna arrays are calibrated to provide high-direction finding accuracy, typically only at higher altitudes. They use multiple intersecting Lines of Bearing (LoBs) to approximate the location of a signal, but the system has limitations, such as a blind spot underneath the aircraft where geolocation is not possible.

Why do aircraft need to maintain significant standoff distances from the radio emitter?

Aircraft need to stay at a considerable standoff distance because conventional antenna arrays are calibrated for high elevation, causing them to have a large blind spot underneath. This blind spot prevents the aircraft from accurately detecting signals in that area, requiring the aircraft to fly at a distance to ensure effective detection.

What makes single aircraft geolocation more challenging when dealing with multiple intermittent radio transmissions?

Single aircraft geolocation becomes difficult when multiple intermittent transmissions from different radios are involved. Traditional systems struggle to separate these signals, making it nearly impossible to pinpoint the emitter's location amid the clutter of information from various sources.

How does Northrop Grumman’s system overcome the limitations of traditional systems?

Northrop Grumman’s system overcomes these limitations with Arrow processing software, which can geolocate a single short transmission from a single aircraft. It uses a unique array of antenna blades that are calibrated to both azimuth and elevation, resolving the emitter's location with greater precision than traditional systems.

What are the key features of Northrop Grumman's antenna array that enhance geolocation capabilities?

The antenna array features uniquely shaped blades calibrated over both azimuth and elevation angles. This allows the system to resolve the location of the emitter in three dimensions, improving accuracy and coverage, particularly in areas where conventional systems have blind spots.

What is Arrow processing and how does it help with geolocation?

Arrow processing is a software capability developed by Northrop Grumman that instantly processes and pinpoints the location of multiple radio signals. It filters out irrelevant data and resolves the exact emitter location, allowing for real-time geolocation from a single aircraft platform, even in cluttered environments.

How does the steep depression angle capability of Northrop Grumman’s system improve geolocation?

The steep depression angle capability significantly reduces the blind spot under the aircraft. Traditional systems have difficulty detecting signals at lower altitudes, but the advanced system can accurately detect signals directly beneath the aircraft, improving coverage and reducing gaps in geolocation data.

What operational advantage does Northrop Grumman’s system provide in tactical scenarios?

In tactical scenarios, the system allows aircraft to provide closer tactical overwatch along borders and geolocate moving targets or multiple emitter networks. This enables more precise and timely intelligence, without needing long-range standoff tracks, enhancing operational effectiveness.

How does the Northrop Grumman communications intelligence system redefine signal intelligence?

Northrop Grumman's system redefines signal intelligence by providing real-time, single-ship geolocation capabilities. It enhances signal tracking, especially in complex, cluttered environments, and allows for rapid pinpointing of stationary or moving emitters from a single aircraft platform.