Electronic jamming without friendly force interference demo to be performed by Raytheon for DARPA
NewsMarch 06, 2012
TEWKSBURY, Mass. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) selected Raytheon engineers to enable warfighters to conduct jamming operations with minimal control and communication interference with friendly forces.
The program – dubbed High-Power Efficient Rf Digital-to-Analog Converter (HiPERDAC) -- will allow tactical platforms, such as ground vehicles, maritime craft, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), tactical aircraft, and individual soldiers to perform battlefield jamming operations while at the same time minimizing frequency interference with friendly forces.
The signals generated are linear – which refers to a signal’s ability to remain within a particular frequency -- and efficient, HiPERDAC provides jamming across the frequency spectrum but provides precise gaps for friendly forces communication frequencies.
Maintaining combat effectiveness on the battlefield and disrupting enemy communications and sensors at the same time is a huge challenge, Raytheon Integrated Defense officials say.
Under the terms of the contract, Raytheon engineers will produce a technology demonstration that generates rapidly tunable, high-power, linear microwave signals across a large range of frequencies.