Leading defense and security electronics company, HENSOLDT, has developed a new military identification (IFF, identification-friend-or-foe) system for modern warships.
The NESIS 4000 IFF system capitalizes on the latest AESA (Active Electronically Scanning Array) radar technology giving it superior performance compared to conventional systems. With the integration of this technology, the radar beam can be steered electronically so that the system does not require a mechanically rotating antenna on top of the ship’s mast. HENSOLDT expects to deliver the first system to a customer by end of this year.
By replacing the rotating antenna which is placed at the highest point of a ship, with a ring-shape fixed-array antenna in a lower part of the ship’s integrated mast, the radar cross-section and infrared signature of the vessel is lowered considerably. Therefore, the new technology allows for improved survivability of surface vessels and cost-saving flexibility in ship-design. In addition, the AESA technology increases radar performance and reduces significantly the update rates. Compared to conventional systems, targets and eventual threats can be identified much faster and the range in a 360° area around the ship is widened to a 200 NM radius.
HENSOLDT, is a global company and works with customers all over the world to provide air traffic control and identification systems for military and civilian applications. It’s MSSR 2000 I secondary radar is currently deployed for military friend-or-foe identification by the naval forces of Germany, France, UK, Australia, Chile, Norway and Finland.