Military

BAE SYSTEMS and Roke Manor Research team to develop revolutionary cellphone radar

23 Jul 2002

BAE Systems and Roke Manor Research are teaming to develop in depth the concept of CELLphone raDAR - CELLDARTM - to provide a revolutionary, totally covert and innovative approach to the detection of moving air, land and sea-based objects, maturing a technology which will significantly enhance military capabilities such as air warfare, littoral operations and Homeland Defense.

The two companies have signed an agreement to fund the development of the technology, already successfully demonstrated by Roke Manor Research, exploiting the latter's in-depth knowledge of cellphone technology through its pivotal role within Siemens, a world leader in this market place, in enabling R&D. The BAE Systems Future Systems, C4ISR and other business units will be contributing their defence domain knowledge and systems integration expertise.

CELLDARTM uses extended multi-static radar detection and data processing for the tracking, identification and cueing of objects moving in cellphone fields. The massive world-wide investment in cellphone technology and the ability to exploit the extensive electromagnetic transmission fields created to support them presents the opportunity for CELLDAR to offer high-performance, long-range, low-cost detection of objects moving in space in real time to user communities.

The capability of the technology extends across all domains and will be a key enabler in future Command & Control, Communications, Computing, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C4ISR) solutions. It encompasses - for instance - the detection of moving vehicles or helicopters in foliage; of small maritime objects, such as periscopes; and other targets.

CELLDARTM utilises the radar frequencies associated with current mobile telephone transmissions (GSM 900, 1800 and 1900) and future transmissions (3G).

This partnership complements earlier initiatives to combine the skills of these two world-class companies. These resulted in the SAMPSON active phased array, multi-function radar (selected for the Royal Navy's Type 45 destroyer) and the HALO artillery location system now in service with the British Army and being supplied into the export market.

About Roke Manor Research:

Roke Manor Research is an independent research and development business owned by Siemens. Based in the UK and employing 500 people, it has been responsible for some of the most innovative technological advances in mobile communications, electronic sensors and defence work over the past thirty years. Roke Manor Research offers its clients a competitive edge by applying world-class talent and experience to create innovative and timely solutions to their commercial development needs.

About BAE SYSTEMS:

BAE Systems is a systems company, innovating for a safer world. BAE Systems employs nearly 100,000 people including Joint Ventures, and has annual sales of around 13 billion. The company offers a global capability in air, sea, land and space with a world-class prime contracting ability supported by a range of key skills. BAE Systems designs, manufactures and supports military aircraft, surface ships, submarines, space systems, radar, avionics, communications, electronics, guided weapon systems and a range of other defence products. BAE Systems is dedicated to making the intelligent connections needed to deliver innovative solutions.

BAE Systems Future Systemsidentifies, assesses and - in some cases - develops new concepts and opportunities from their earliest stages. When these reach sufficient maturity, they are transitioned elsewhere within the company for further development.

BAE Systems C4ISR is a global centre of excellence supplying innovative, network enhanced solutions focused on military capability. It employs proven systems integration skills to transfer advanced civil and military technologies into robust, single-service and tri-service information management environments. C4ISR optimises the operational effectiveness of command & control and platforms within the digitized battlespace, providing flexible architectures to support fast decision-making.