Defence Business: NEWS from Elisra | ADM Apr 2011

Julian Kerr | Avalon

A new lightweight communications intelligence (COMINT) and Direction Finding (DF) system launched by Elisra at Avalon is to be demonstrated to the ADF by the end of May as part of the DEF500 COMINT program.

Although elements of the Networked Electronic Warfare System (NEWS) are already in service with the Israel Defence Force (IDF), these have only just been integrated to form a complete system intended to detect, locate and monitor signals of interest from specific locations.

NEWS can be carried by a single soldier, but is also available in vehicle-borne and tripod-mounted configurations and has been integrated on an undisclosed type of UAV. It can also be networked into the ADF’s new Land 200 battle management system (BMS), the rollout of which is underway.

Elisra - now part of Elbit which is supplying the Land 200 BMS - says NEWS provides exceptionally precise interception and direction finding over the entire operational frequency band, ranging from 25 to 3000MHz, and is configured in either hand-held or man-pack variants

The hand-held system weighs 14 kilograms excluding a specially-designed vest. It uses a 90-degree front sector antenna and sum-null DF which enable soldiers to locate nearby emitters by aiming the sensor in the emitters’ general direction.

The 20 kilogram (excluding antenna and vest) man-pack variant uses two types of small tripod-mounted antennas and interferometer-based DF to map the direction and frequency of emitters. This configuration includes GPS capability integrated in a PDA strapped to the operator’s hand.

Adrian Abramovitz, Elisra’s senior director marketing and business development, told ADM that multiple NEWS sensors would allow forces to locate multiple enemy positions in an urban environment.

A minimum of two NEWS sensors were required to accurately pinpoint the location of an enemy emitter, which could be done to within two degrees and tens of metres, he said.