DSEI 2023: SPX CommTech launches tactical COMINT system

SPX CommTech 953 COMINT receiver, displayed at DSEI 2023, can support counter-unmanned aircraft system activities and operates over low-bandwidth and intermittent networks. (Janes/Olivia Savage)

SPX CommTech debuted its new tactical communications intelligence (COMINT) receiver at DSEI 2023 held from 12 to 15 September in London.

The solution – known as the 953 COMINT RF (radio frequency) Receiver – performs continuous, unmanned, remote, and real-time signal collection with low size, weight, and power (SWaP) for dismounted operations.

One of its most notable features is its ability to provide 80 MHz-wide instantaneous bandwidth (IBW), double that compared with the previous 903 receiver. This increased bandwidth enables greater and faster interrogation of the spectrum, Graeme Forsyth, counter-unmanned aircraft system (C-UAS) product manager for the company, told Janes at the show.

The bandwidth also delivers a sweet spot between monitoring sufficient signal breadth and amplitude to ensure quality and accuracy in identifying threats, the company added.

Weighing approximately 20 kg, the system can be set-up by a single individual for tactical COMINT or mounted on a vehicle for mobile operation. It is powered with removable hot-swappable batteries for round-the-clock use, with each battery capable of providing four hours of power, Forsyth said.

During trials, the receiver achieved ranges in excess of 20 km, he added.

Software developed by the company called Blackbird enables the receiver to detect, identify, direction-find, and track signals of interest to support operations and mitigate electronic warfare threats. The application can simplify the collection task and trigger automated actions, support unattended operations, and track RF emissions from unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), their controllers, or datalinks.

Internal and external trials have been conducted and units have been acquired by several customers, although the systems are not yet operational, he added.