Radio frequency and spectrum monitoring companies Enterprise Control Systems (ECS) and TCI are showcasing their Blacktalon anti-drone system at this year’s Defense Service Asia & amp; Conference (DSA).
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The companies are part of SPX Corporation and have developed a range of anti-UAS solutions as part of the partnership. Blacktalon is designed to provide security agencies and defense organizations with capabilities to detect, locate and defeat drones with a radio frequency (RF) drone.
The solution includes radar and RF sensors to detect, identify, locate and track UAS. It is also equipped with an electro-optical sensor for drone checking and video tracking and a multi-channel RF inhibitor for drone defeat.
Jackson White, Director of Business Development at SPX Enterprise for Data Connections RF, says: “Two organizations [ECS and TIC] are RF specialists, both operating in the commercial and military sectors at all levels.
“We combine RF TCI detection, location and geolocation, and all of these capabilities, as well as the disaster capabilities we design and develop as part of the company’s surveillance system.”
There are different versions of Blacktalon and White says it’s best to think of it as architecture.
“We start with our Signal Intelligence Receivers (SIGINT), which with our drone detection software can detect UAS in the RF spectrum as a simple solution,” he explains. “Then we can add our solution to defeat against UAS RF, and then offer a very basic Blacktalon 1 RF detection and defeat solution for drones.”
Improved and upgraded versions of Blacktalon based on customer requirements may have additional detection capabilities with radars, RF detection layers and electro-optics for identification purposes. The identification process is essential.
Because UAS elimination is performed by RF, the same frequency used by some communication and navigation devices, identification is crucial so that only the target device can terminate.
Blacktalon uses software-defined RF to create highly accurate waveforms to prevent data connectivity on UASs or remotely controlled explosive devices. The frequencies generated are also spectrally pure, which means that the target waveforms do not create side bands.
Finally, the RF created by Blacktalon is directed and does not emit waves at 360 degrees, but only in a certain direction.
White says, “These allow us to direct RF specifically in the right direction and height of the UAS, allowing us to operate on the pure spectrum, while allowing others to communicate in the facility.”
The performance of the solution is available through a system called Technology Stage 9 (TRL9), which consists of nine different steps, the last of which is “operationally proven”.
“This is one of the advantages we have with Blacktalon. SPX components have been installed in operating theaters for many years, ”says White. “Third-party components that we bring in, we always make sure they are operationally proven and have been installed. So we are not introducing new experimental technology into architecture, “he concludes.
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