Sarah Eggleton

SPX Communication Technologies spearheads an open-architecture Counter-UAS capability, combining its operationally proven BLACKTALON solution and decades of experience with a global network of providers to meet defense and security needs, threats, skill sets, and budgets.

June 27th, 2024 | Wappenham, UK – Radio frequency (RF) technology specialists SPX Communication Technologies today launches the BLACKTALON Ecosystem, a new Counter-Unmanned Aerial System (C-UAS) capability based on the operationally proven BLACKTALON solution.

The BLACKTALON Ecosystem integrates SPX Communication Technologies’ BLACKTALON C-UAS technology and decades of expertise in the space with a vendor-agnostic framework. This approach ensures solutions can meet every customer’s unique requirements. Defense and security teams gain from a tailored solution meet to their specific Concept of Operations, threats, user groups, existing capabilities, and budgets.

Customers also benefit from SPX Communication Technologies’ extensive experience developing C-UAS solutions for high-threat scenarios from Ukraine to Iraq and other active global hot spots. SPX collaborates closely with customers from their concept stage to operational deployment, ensuring solutions are optimized for specific user needs and mission objectives and remain supported throughout their operational life.

The core BLACKTALON solution includes carefully selected active radars, EOIR, passive RFDF, RF jammer, and mast configuration. While SPX will continue to offer this standard configuration, the open architecture of BLACKTALON Ecosystem allows any of these elements to be customized or replaced. This flexibility provides customers access to the latest systems and hardware capabilities without unnecessary barriers and in a suitable timeframe.

For example, customers could choose autonomous optical tracking from OpenWorks, cutting-edge 3D radar from US provider Echodyne, RF subsystems from SPX and mount them on a range of dispersed or centrally located mobile or transportable masts to provide a single scalable BLACKTALON Counter-UAS capability.

These latest capabilities join the Ecosystem alongside existing providers Chess Dynamics, supplier of surveillance, fire control, and large positioning systems, and Blighter, the UK’s leading supplier of ground-based electronic scanning radar systems.

Graeme Forsyth, Counter-UAS Product Manager at SPX Communication Technologies, said: “The complexity and speed that modern conflict develops means it’s impossible for a single Counter-UAS provider to own all the necessary technologies to provide a best-in-class solution suitable for all forms of threats today and in the future. As a trusted partner for global defense and security teams, our BLACKTALON Ecosystem helps break down barriers to threat response. It continues evolving to support their counter-UAS need – all in close collaboration with customers, the industry, and supported by our proven technology.”

James Cross, Director at OpenWorks, said: “Collaboration is key in the development of successful Counter-UAS defense technology. Integration and flexibility are at the forefront of system capabilities and requirements. Our inclusion in the BLACKTALON Ecosystem reflects this, and we are proud to be involved with a system that allows end-users a fully customizable design depending on mission-specific requirements.”

David Montague, Director EMEAI at Echodyne, said: “Systems are evolving rapidly to address the Counter-UAS threat, with accuracy, flexibility, and ease of integration being key evaluation criteria. We are pleased to be included in BLACKTALON Ecosystem, which provides rich optionality for customers to easily tailor system design and performance to mission and location requirements.”

The BLACKTALON Ecosystem offering is now available. For more information, visit www.tcibr.com/blacktalon-ecosystem or email sales@enterprisecontrol.co.uk

About SPX Communication Technologies (TCI | ECS)

SPX Communication Technologies, part of SPX Technologies, innovates specialized technologies within the Radio Frequency (RF) spectrum to ensure a smarter, more secure future for all.

Formed by TCI and Enterprise Control Systems (ECS), SPX Communication Technologies and its Spectrum Battlespace portfolio enables defense and security teams to detect, defeat and exploit RF signals to enhance Communications Intelligence (COMINT) and Counter Unmanned Aerial Systems (C-UAS).

Combining decades of technology innovation and expertise with agile and collaborative teams, SPX Communication Technologies delivers sustainable and exceptional results to customers across the globe – including Europe, APAC, the Middle East, and Africa.

For more information, visit www.tcibr.com or www.enterprisecontrol.co.uk

Marc Haysey, Managing Director at SPX Communication Technologies, shares insight into the challenges faced by today’s defense teams, how technology is evolving to meet their RF spectrum monitoring and control needs, and the businesses’ next steps in supporting them.

Q: Firstly, can you briefly introduce yourself and your role at SPX Communication Technologies?

A: I’m Managing Director of SPX Communication Technologies UK and the commercial lead for the entire group, covering Wappenham (UK) and Fremont (USA). SPX Communication Technologies is the union of TCI and Enterprise Control Systems (ECS), which brings together decades of expertise in the radio frequency (RF) space.

In my role, I’m responsible for developing and delivering the UK’s business strategy while overseeing our global sales and customer support teams. By bringing these teams together we can promptly identify and address any gaps between the challenges our customers face on the ground and the development of our solutions to meet those needs.

Q: What are the key challenges you and your customers are seeing that impact soldiers and defense teams?

A: Firstly, we’re witnessing an increasing demand for greater real-time intelligence as soldiers and defense teams operate in highly complex threat landscapes. They need to gather and transmit ever larger volumes of data over longer ranges – from the air to the ground as well as between aircrafts. To do this, they need input from a wide range of sensors – beyond video – to enhance airborne ISR and guarantee teams are always connected in the air.

In this context, we’ve focused our expertise in advancing our Tactical Data Link solutions. Our Data Links capabilities enable the secure and reliable transfer of large volumes of mission-critical data between enabled aircraft and ground teams, and over long distances.

Another key challenge is the rapid evolution of hostile unmanned aerial systems (UAS), particularly drones. As these get smaller and more intelligent, we move in line to ensure our counter-UAS solutions are as scalable and flexible as possible to keep pace with the evolving threat.

Q: What actions is the business taking to help teams stay one step ahead of the next threat?

A: We value listening to and working alongside defense teams. We prioritize their voices and base our business strategy on their perspectives, particularly when it comes to product development and innovation.

Our team regularly meets with customers from across the world to learn about their challenges, how their requirements are evolving, and to make sure we understand the problems they’re trying to solve from their point of view. We also closely follow geopolitical trends and consider how they affect our markets. This allows us to anticipate and adapt to changes in the landscape that may impact our operations, supply chain and market opportunities.

While there’s no silver bullet for detecting and defeating the vast array of threats present on the battlefield, constant review and assessment of challenges and trends allow us to be ready to adapt and evolve as the world and our end-users require. We’re able to be super responsive in our innovation because our strategy is rooted in listening to the customer.

To support customers, we’re also strengthening and expanding our network of global in-country partners. Having local representatives across nations allows us to keep up with local issues, identify specific needs and deliver the right products even faster. This also allows us to have an essential presence in places where we can’t physically reach due to geopolitical and social tensions, or the inevitable complexity associated with modern conflict.

A recent example is our extended partnership with Depicon, which grants the Belgium-based business development company exclusive rights to offer our Data Link portfolio to aerospace and defense organizations in the Benelux region. This marks a key milestone since our collaboration began in 2017 with a representative agreement covering multiple regions.

Ultimately, by combining our proven technology with local expertise we’re able to address challenges with the appropriate solution. This process is based on listening and working collaboratively within the business, and with those customers and partners that benefit from our capabilities.

Q: How has this collaborative approach manifested since the union of TCI and ECS?

A: A clear example is the development of the BLACKTALON counter-UAS system, our first joint offering combining the expertise of both transatlantic teams. BLACKTALON is a fully integrated, scalable and customizable system designed to detect, defeat and track hostile UAS and drones.

One key aspect of BLACKTALON’s capabilities is its ability to effectively jam every combination of global navigation satellite system (GNSS), command, control, and telemetry signals used by commercial and military drones. This ensures a decisive advantage in countering UAS threats while simultaneously safeguarding friendly RF signals from any unintended inhibition.

BLACKTALON’s cutting-edge technology provides defense and security forces with the necessary tools to maintain airspace dominance and protect critical assets from the ever-evolving UAS landscape. What’s more, we’re currently working on taking this capability even further with advanced customization features. We look forward to announcing more in the coming months.

Q: What other solutions are assisting operations across land, sea and air?

A: BLACKTALON is currently being deployed by multiple defense teams across the globe and is proven in active conflict.

Other solutions include our recently introduced Evenlode Video and Audio Encoder / Decoder. This allows aircraft to become network-enabled across land, sea and air domains. It delivers improved low-latency, long-range, high-definition video, audio and data transfer for faster and more accurate intelligence-gathering. The result is compressed video and audio files that can be transferred simultaneously over a lower bandwidth pipe – up to four video files at a time. This real-time data capture and delivery capability ensures effective decisions are made, even on the tactical edge, allowing the necessary information to be selected without disrupting an ongoing operation.

Furthermore, the decoder component mirrors the encoding capabilities, allowing the real-time re-streaming – or transcoding – to multiple destination points such as a command center or at the tactical edge using mobile devices. This adds flexibility to end-users’ video distribution aims in one single solution.

Another solution is the upgraded 953 COMINT RF Receiver, designed for the identification, direction-finding, and tracking of hostile RF signals to support COMINT and counter-UAS tactical operations. Its reduced size and weight means the device is portable for dismounted operations and can be easily mounted on a vehicle to support mobility operations. For instance, it can be placed at an elevated position in a dismounted role, such as a tactical position only accessible on foot, to ensure the antenna is situated for optimum signal detection and increased range.

Q: Looking ahead, what’s next for SPX Communication Technologies in the defense space?

A: Our ultimate goal is to sustain the delivery of exceptional results to defense teams across the globe while ensuring a smarter, more secure future for all. To achieve this, we’ll continue listening to the voices of those on the ground and maintaining an open dialogue with defense teams and across the business to ensure we’re always one step ahead.

We’ll also continue to optimize our processes and supply chain by setting up repair and inventory depots across multiple nations. These will enable in-country partners to deliver support and first-line maintenance to the highest standard at the precise moment teams require.

Finally, from a product innovation perspective, we’re working to implement technologies like big data and artificial intelligence (AI) to further automate processes and provide deeper analytics to mission-critical information. We look forward to announcing new capabilities throughout the year, particularly in the coming months, to support operational teams across land, sea, and air.

For further information and to download the PDF version, please visit: Volume 33 | SPX Communication Technologies | Interview with MD Marc Haysey (soldiermod.com)

By Jackson White, Business Development Director of Tactical Data Links and VP Marketing at SPX Communication Technologies.

Nations across Asia are experiencing growing tensions and an increasingly complex threat landscape. For example, the heightened dispute between the Philippines and China over the South China Sea, and China’s combat drones circumnavigating Taiwan in ongoing sea and airspace disputes. Such incursions highlight the need for greater real-time intelligence and more sophisticated security measures. In response, nations are investing in modernization programs, such as the Philippines’ Re-Horizon 3 armed forces initiative to bolster maritime and air defense capabilities.

A critical part of such initiatives is strengthening radio frequency (RF) spectrum monitoring and data transmission capabilities to help protect their borders, citizens and infrastructure. SPX Communication Technologies is working closely with defense teams across Asia to help them meet their individual communications intelligence (COMINT), counter-unmanned aerial systems’ (counter-UAS) and Tactical Data Link requirements.

To read the full article published in the recent edition of Asian Military Review, please click here: Strengthening Asia’s military and defense teams with COMINT, Counter-UAS and Tactical Data Links – Asian Military Review

TCI, part of SPX Communication Technologies, will provide additional spectrum monitoring capabilities to Egypt’s National Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (NTRA) under a new contract secured in partnership with Egyptian telecommunications and technology services company EGPowers.

A mesh monitoring network formed by 20 differently configured TCI Model 709 compact spectrum monitoring systems (SMS) will be deployed to strengthen the NTRA’s ability to manage and optimize its telecommunications services. These capabilities will be especially critical as the NTRA has recently licensed Egypt’s first 5G network.

Most of the 709 systems will be fixed across 16 sites, and four will be fully transportable or vehicle-mounted, which increases the network’s flexibility. For example, mobile systems allow spectrum monitoring in rural areas where fixed systems are not feasible or in urban settings where they can “hunt down” an interfering or illegal transmitter.

The 709 provides high system sensitivity, low phase noise and high dynamic range to maximise system coverage and ITU measurement capabilities. This results in fewer systems required for monitoring and geolocation across large areas.

TCI and EGPowers partnered in 2015 to deliver a mobile monitoring and direction-finding system to NTRA covering the 20 MHz to 8 GHz bandwidth, with an additional frequency extension up to 40 GHz. Today, with the new NTRA contract win, EGPowers will be responsible for the installation, set-up, and ongoing support of the network of TCI spectrum monitoring sensors.

“Egypt’s telecommunications and digital landscapes are expanding, and new 5G networks will inevitably add complexity. New spectrum monitoring capabilities will address this complexity and give NTRA the tools it needs to master the spectrum,” says Ann Bustamante, Vice President Spectrum Monitoring and Management Sales at TCI.

The TCI Model 709 Compact Spectrum Monitoring System detects and locates modern signals of interest for spectrum optimization, interference mitigation, public safety, and national security missions. SPX Communication Technologies’ Spectrum Monitoring Systems portfolio also enables government-mandated regulators to digitize and monetize the Radio Spectrum by licensing, managing and protecting spectrum bands for telecommunications services – including 5G.

The NTRA’s mesh monitoring network is set to be fully operational by the end of 2024.

For further information on SPX Communication Technologies’ Spectrum Monitoring Systems get in touch via the Contact Us page or email tci_sales@spx.com.

Marc Haysey, Managing Director at SPX Communication Technologies

Heightened geopolitical and social tensions, increasing conflict complexity, and growing threats to national, government and civilian security, are posing new challenges to nations worldwide.

In response, defense budgets are broadly increasing while advanced defense technologies are seeing readily available, low cost commercial RF technologies driving the need to monitor and control the RF spectrum to keep pace with evolving threats.

Against this backdrop, at SPX Communication Technologies, we’re leading the innovation of specialized radio frequency (RF) spectrum technologies that enable teams to detect, defeat and monitor RF signals for communications intelligence (COMINT) and counter unmanned aerial systems (counter-UAS) for the global defense market, and also real-time spectrum monitoring for telecommunication regulatory authorities.

We’re also advancing our portfolio – under our ‘Tactical Data Links’ capability – our Data Link solutions to enable the secure and reliable transfer of large volumes of mission-critical data between enabled aircraft and ground teams and over long distances for airborne Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR).

Click here to read the full article published in Aerospace & Defense Review.