SOUTHWEST RESEARCH INSTITUTE

Communications and Embedded Systems

Mobile Electronic Warfare

System (IFF Tracker)

 

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  image of mobile Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) tracking system
 

As part of an Air Force effort, SwRI provided integration and test services to produce two mobile Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) tracking systems.

Measuring and characterizing the response of airborne electronic warfare systems during flight is an important part of preparing for modern electronic combat. Improved performance can mean the difference between survival and loss of a vehicle and crew. As part of a U.S. Air Force effort to characterize the response of airborne electronic warfare systems, Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) provided integration and test services to produce two mobile Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) tracking systems.

 

These mobile tracking systems, which are updated four times every second, provide information for a cooperating aircraft, including:

  • Azimuth

  • Elevation

  • Range

  • Altitude

This tracking information allows antenna aiming of a mobile measurement system to enable the required characterization.

 

The mobile electronic warfare system project included:

  • Physical integration of an IFF interrogator

  • Customized vehicle

  • Related equipment

  • System software development

The software utilizes the track data supplied by the interrogator once every two seconds and an adaptive alpha-beta tracking algorithm to predict aircraft position at quarter second intervals.

 

The completed IFF tracking system features:

  • A retractable interrogation antenna

  • A satellite clock

  • A fiber-optic data link to the measurement system

The mobile electronic warfare system is controlled locally from within the vehicle or remotely from the measurement system. The integrated tracking system interfaces to the measurement system as a single IEEE-488 instrument.

 

For more information about mobile electronic warfare system (IFF tracker) capabilities at SwRI, or how you can contract with SwRI, please contact Tom Untermeyer at tuntermeyer@swri.org or (210) 522-5040.  We can offer you the best approach for solving your communications and embedded systems problem.

 

Contact Information

Tom Untermeyer

Communications and Embedded Systems

(210) 522-5040

tuntermeyer@swri.org

Related Terminology

airborne electronic warfare systems

modern electronic combat

integration and test services

identification friend or foe tracking system

mobile tracking systems

communication networks

communication systems

specification development

prototype development

communications engineering

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Southwest Research Institute® (SwRI®), headquartered in San Antonio, Texas, is a multidisciplinary, independent, nonprofit, applied engineering and physical sciences research and development organization with 12 technical divisions.

November 16, 2009