Controlled Radiation Pattern Antennas (CRPAs) are the latest evolution to counter anti-GNSS jamming by cancelling out signals through beamforming. ATDI's HTZ Warfare features a “GNSS -CRPA Jamming map” function that allows users to plan jamming deployments to counter enemy tactics, as well ensuring uninterrupted GPS reception by estimating the enemy’s GPS jamming capacity.

To ensure effective jamming, more jammers are required than antenna elements in the CRPA. For example, jamming a four-element antenna requires at least four jammers. Those coverage outputs are applied to a given area needing protection by using a vector polygon, allowing the user to determine and modify the area to consider.

The GNSS receiver configuration manages the number of elements including null and beam steering, spacing, antenna beamwidth, antenna gain and beamforming thresholds. It also incorporates parameters like GPS frequency, antenna height and jamming thresholds. Jammer settings include the maximum distance from each jammer to limit calculations, an option to consider composite coverage or to use existing calculations, and the ability to determine which jamming signals to reject.

Once configured, the software calculates the jammer's effective coverage area against the specific threat defined. HTZ uses two methods to apply these calculations:

Method 1 considers CRPA jamming by acknowledging challenges with dynamically generating radiation patterns. This suits Fixed Radiation Pattern Antennas (FRPAs) or CRPAs, for which NULL steering is automatically configured, depending on the strongest jamming signal exceeding the defined threshold.

Method 2 enables users to customise the CRPA's jamming resistance. To define the beam suppression for Null steering, the "statistic values" button can be used to assign rejection values to elements based on their spatial placement from the main jamming signal. These values are applied to each Null' Beam suppression. Users can also define this in their data. The outputs from both methods illustrate where each mapped point is jammed, rendering a CRPA receiver unable to receive a GNSS signal. The images shown below display the composite jammer coverage and CRPA effective coverage.


GNSS - CRPA Jamming map: CRPA Jamming stands for GPS jamming performed on any GPS receiver, including Fixed and Controlled Radiation Pattern Antennas (FRPA and CRPA). Jamming involves emitting radio frequency signals on the same frequencies as those used by the guidance systems of the munitions, thereby interfering with their ability to receive accurate positioning information. This interference can cause the munitions to miss their intended targets or become ineffective. CPRA jamming has proven to be an effective electronic warfare tactic used to counter the effectiveness of precision-guided munitions on the battlefield.

Recent conflicts provide evidence that battlespace dynamics are evolving. For example, in the Ukraine/Russia war, there has been a notable shift towards achieving airspace superiority. This is evident in the increased use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and counter-drones. Drones are proving crucial to mission success, excelling in aerial reconnaissance, precision airstrikes, and enhancing operational flexibility and efficiency. By improving situational awareness, operational effectiveness, and force protection, the military can gain a significant advantage.

HTZ oversees all aspects of interception and jamming, encompassing the planning of offensive actions, support for asset optimisation, and communications planning. Conversely, it models and analyses the impact of jamming on its networks and assets.

Catch up on some of the latest new and improved features in HTZ Warfare for managing electronic warfare in the electromagnetic spectrum.

CPRA Jamming function: Enabling GNSS receiver on UAVs to be jammed. This function also supports anti-jamming capabilities on the UAV. It allows users to plan jamming deployments to counter enemy tactics, as well ensuring uninterrupted GPS reception by estimating the enemy’s GPS jamming capacity.

Drone flight paths analysis: HTZ manages the signal received power (RSRP), signal to interference plus noise ratio (SINR) and the reference signal received quality (RSRQ) for the proposed flight path. It models the flight paths both vertically, diagonally and horizontally and supports a subscriber database. It undertakes a connectivity analysis to identify areas with and without coverage to enable the optimisation of routes and ensure continuous connectivity with the network.

Counter-drone Efficiency analysis: This feature calculates the network coverage based on various height elevations or potential flight paths of the unauthorised UAV. These coverage calculations identify areas with poor signal coverage resulting from topography and building heights which could restrict the ability to block or jam signals.

Jamming threshold: The 'jamming threshold' parameter has been introduced which denotes any received signal surpassing a given value will be classified as jamming.

Jammer Uplink coverage: Checks what can be received by the jammer while it’s jamming a virtual transmitter located anywhere on the map.

Localisation: Addition of a new mode for DF localisation accuracy maps based on location and azimuth of the DF. The accuracy is only calculated if DFs are not aligned.

On-the-move capabilities: HTZ analyses network capabilities for moving elements such as convoys in hostile terrain and identifies locations for talk-through sites. It optimises the deployment of direction finders by identifying the best sites while undertaking DF baseline coverage assessment between assets. HTZ can be integrated with the DF system to display DF hits on the planner's screen.

Drone-to-drone communications: HTZ models drone-to-drone communications where one drone uses a high-altitude platform (HAP) to extend the communication range for the drone. HTZ applies ITU-R 528 propagation model to model network coverage.

For more information or to arrange a demo, contact us today.

Self-forming/self-healing networks are an exciting trend for defence mission operations. Every network node can intelligently sense and discover other nearby nodes and dynamically determine the optimal path for forwarding data packets through the network to another node. The impact of network disruption can be reduced as the network automatically heals itself as a result of the movement of nodes, changes to RF propagation and node destruction.

Set in a military context, this event will demonstrate how to create highly resilient, self-forming / self-healing tactical networks to meet today’s dynamic warfighter operations. Using automation features in HTZ Warfare, this webinar will show how the creation of transmission paths over different terrain and environmental conditions, plus re-routing of paths when nodes break down or lose connectivity, can be managed simply and quickly.

Building a resilient tactical radio network with self-healing properties can offer huge benefits, particularly in terms of end-to-end connectivity, which far exceeds that of traditional point-to-point networks. The event will also look at the automatic deployment of Range Extenders (relays) to maximise interconnections and offers an opportunity to understand the benefits of an API interface, featuring real-time tactical analysis and integration with military tactical maps.

Automating software processes has proven to improve the overall quality and consistency of results while benefitting from savings to manpower and improved operational efficiency. Sign-up today and learn how your organisation can benefit from automating radio network planning.