Czech Republic receives new electronic surveillance system

The army's new DPET electronic surveillance system consists of four stations, which are transported by Tatra T-815 8×8 vehicles. (Ministry of Defence of the Czech Republic/Warrant Officer Jan Králíček)

The Army of the Czech Republic (ACR) has received the first of two new deployable passive electronic surveillance systems following an official handover ceremony to the 532nd Electronic Warfare Battalion on 13 December.

The system, known as the Deployable Passive Electronic Support Measures Tracker (DPET), is replacing the in-service Vera-S/M, although it will remain in the armament of the army and be used for training and use by Active Reserve units, according to an announcement by the Armed Forces of the Czech Republic.

The DPET will be in service over the next 10–15 years following delivery of the second and final system in 2024.

Developed by Czech company ERA, the DPET passively tracks air, land, and sea targets from distances of up to 500 km, depending on environmental conditions, and can simultaneously track up to 200 aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), ships, or ground equipment. It comprises four stations, each consisting of an automatically adjustable 25 m mast installed in ISO-1C containers. The system also includes a command container for evaluating the data.

One of the key features of the DPET is its ability to be reconfigured into a ‘light' variant by attaching the antennas onto tripods. The tripods are then transported via two Toyota Hilux vehicles, enabling rapid deployment. It can also interoperate with national and ally command-and-control systems, a key requirement stipulated by the army, the announcement detailed.