NATO/PfP trials with radar systems supervised by armasuisse Science and Technology
How will radar systems be able to assert themselves in the future with artificial intelligence and cognitive principles under difficult conditions on the battlefield? This topic was examined on the military training area in Thun in the week of 14 to 18 October 2024. It involved an international research experiment by NATO, under the direction of armasuisse Science and Technology (S+T).
Lucas Ballerstedt, Staff, competence sector Science and Technology
In brief
Under the direction of armasuisse S+T, trials with cognitive radar systems took place in cooperation with the NATO research working group SET-302 in Thun. Research partners from Germany, the UK, the Czech Republic and the Netherlands took part in the event. The trial scenarios in Thun were able to provide valuable insights which facilitate the further development of cognitive radar systems.
Between 14 and 18 October 2024, trials with cognitive radar systems took place on the military training area in Thun as part of the activities of the NATO research panel Sensors and Electronics Technology (SET). armasuisse S+T managed and organised the research working group (SET-302) set up for this purpose, with research partners from Germany, the UK, the Czech Republic and the Netherlands taking part. They put their radar systems to the acid test.
A cognitive radar system adapts its operating characteristics to the variable environment during operation and learns from past experience to perform one or more prescribed tasks as effectively as possible. The first demonstrator systems of this kind are therefore based on development platforms with software-defined radio (SDR) components, which only permit constant adaptation through learning control algorithms based on methods of artificial intelligence.
The research experiment focused on testing these types of algorithms in various military scenarios in the field. The radar devices were exposed to interference signals, for example.
Consequently, the tests dealt with the performance of tasks by the cognitive radar systems such as the detection of drones or moving objects on the ground despite tough conditions. The use of cognitive radar systems in the test scenarios therefore supplied novel, important insights into the entire further development of the research area, especially as the field of research of cognitive radar systems is still in the development phase at the current time. armasuisse S+T has implemented the radar systems miniCODIR and VERA. VERA was implemented for the first time here and the results were very satisfactory. Learning algorithms for optimal tracking of targets were demonstrated using miniCODIR.
Conclusion and outlook
armasuisse S+T’s regular participation in selected NATO research activities promotes the exchange of knowledge and strengthens our technological understanding. Participation in these types of international collaborative research working groups therefore ensures a constant acquisition of knowledge which is directly incorporated in our current projects and constitutes an elementary factor for the security of Switzerland. The measurement data collected from the previous week will be comprehensively analysed in a further step and the ongoing processes as well as the technologies will be reappraised, with a view to optimising and strengthening the detection function of the cognitive radar systems in challenging operational incidents.
