IDEX 2023: EDGE SkyShield and V-Protect against drones and IEDs
One of the three main pillars of EDGE, the UAE defence industry champion, is electronic warfare, EW in short. The key player in the group in that field is SIGN4L, a specialist in leading electronic warfare and cyber technologies.
With drones becoming an increasing threat, it comes to no surprise that the EDGE entity unveiled at iDEX 2023 a counter-UAS system, named SkyShield. Not many technical details were provided over the new system, which was shown installed on the flatbed of a 4×4 pick-up, the SkyShield being designed also to be used in static mode to protect for example critical infrastructures.
The SkyShield is made of a sensors and effectors suite, which is installed on an elevating mast that allows sensors to be located higher than the vehicle cabin, ensuring therefore a 360° coverage. A radar with AESA antennas and an electro-optic package are the main sensors, the four antennas ensuring all-round surveillance being installed on the main sides of the trapezoidal elevated structure, the optronic gimbal being on top of it. Both those sensors are provided by a third party, SIGN4L not unveiling the names of the companies involved. On the short sides of the trapezoid structure we could see the jammer and spoofer antennas, the former aiming at disrupting GNSS signals and/or data link comms, while the latter aims at misleading the drones’ navigation system, moving them away from the intended target. Both are made by SIGN4L, the UAE company being also busy in developing a direction finding system that will allow detecting drones and tracking them, adding a further capability to the sensor suite.
The SkyShield can of course be integrated into the command and control system developed by EDGE. EDR On-Line understood that in the static version the SkyShield is capable to pick up a drone at 10 km distance, no radar cross section reference being provided, while in the mobile version the range is much lower. In the latter version the SkyShield comes in a palletised form, which is installed at the rear of the vehicle, a generator providing the needed power supply making it fully autonomous from the transport platform.
Switching from air to land threats, IEDs remain a constant in many scenarios. For homeland security and military use SIGN4L developed the V-Protect, which comes in the form of a self-contained pod fitted with a series of antennas, all electronics and power supply being inside the container. The V-Protect can jam all VHF and UHF frequencies from 20 MHz to 6 GHz, all existing mobile phone networks, 2G, 4G and 5G, Bluetooth and WiFi links, as well as satellite phones such as Thuraya, Iridium and Inmarsat. The overall emission power is over 1 kW, the V-Protect used in reactive mode allowing disturbing 16 channels and the corresponding waveforms at the same time.
At IDEX 2023 EDGE announced that an undisclosed key international customer filed two contracts, one for each of the aforementioned systems, which combined value is AED 70 million (27 million Euro) for the two systems.
Photos courtesy EDGE and P. Valpolini
