Coordination of Electronic Counter Measures

• US 20080136701A1
• Filed: 01/17/2006
• Published: 06/12/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Saab AB
• Original Assignee: Saab AB
• Inventors: Ferm, Niklas, Lindvall, Thomas
• Granted Patent: US 7,489,264 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/14
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/38 Jamming means, e.g. producing false echoes
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 2203/22 for communication related to vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 2203/24 for communication related to weapons
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 2203/34 involving multiple cooperating jammers
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 2203/36 including means for exchanging jamming data between transmitter and receiver, e.g. in forward or backward direction
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/65 using deceptive jamming or spoofing, e.g. transmission of false signals for premature triggering of RCIED, for forced connection or disconnection to/from a network or for generation of dummy target signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/825 by jamming

Abstract

An electronic counter measures solution. Jamming signals are emitted towards a threat to improve chances of survival for at least two vehicles, which are physically separated from one another, however associated with one another in a group. Each of the at least two vehicles receives a wireless time reference signal from an external resource. The vehicles exchange messages over a wireless data link. The messages pertain to usage of at least one electronic warfare resource in each vehicle. Based on the messages and the time reference signal the usage of at least one first electronic warfare resource in a first vehicle is coordinated with the usage of at least one second electronic warfare resource in a second vehicle, such that a particular type of jamming signal is emitted alternately either from the at least one first resource or from the at least one second resource, essentially without any overlaps or gaps in time. Thereby, a false target is created between the vehicles with respect to a weapon which operates in a so-called Home-on-Jam mode.

Claims

1. A method of producing jamming signals comprising:

receiving a wireless time reference signal from an external resource, exchanging messages over a wireless data link, and

generating at least one type of jamming signal based on the time reference signal and the messages, the at least one type of jamming signal being emitted from two or more stations physically separated from one another and associated with one another in a group of stations, wherein the messages comprise data pertaining to a usage of at least one first electronic warfare resource in a first station in the group and at least one second electronic warfare resource in at least one second station in the group, and

coordinating the usage of the at least one first and second resources based on the messages and the time reference signal, such that a particular type of jamming signal is emitted alternately either from the at least one first resource or from the at least one second resource essentially without any overlaps or gaps in time.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

specifying signal parameter information pertaining to a number of known threats;

specifying a counter measure library containing a complete set of electronic warfare resources comprising any resources which are included in at least one station of the group; and

identifying, for each of said threats, at least one of the resources in the complete set of electronic warfare resources which is estimated to constitute an appropriate counter measure to combat the threat.

3. The method according to claim 2, further comprising:

specifying a time synchronizing pattern describing a timing profile for a jamming signal to be emitted from each resource in the complete set of electronic warfare resources in respect of each of said known threats.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

specifying, in each station, for each electronic warfare resource included in this station whether the resource is currently available or not for emitting jamming signals;

exchanging, repeatedly, status messages with the other stations in the group, each message reflecting a current availability of the electronic warfare resource included in the station from which the message is transmitted; and

recording, based on any received status messages from the other stations in the group, a resource activation status for each resource of the electronic warfare resource included in the other stations in the group.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein each station in the group is associated with at least one threat warning system, and the method further comprising:

determining, based on an output from the at least one threat warning system and the resources activation statuses, in a first station in the group whether at least one particular threat is appropriate to combat by means of a first electronic warfare resource in this station in coordination with at least one second electronic warfare resource in at least one second station in the group; and

if such a coordination is found to be appropriate

transmitting a request message from the first station to the at least one second station;

waiting for at least one reply message to be returned from the at least one second station in response to the request message; and

if at least one of any received reply messages indicates a service accept

emitting a jamming signal from the first electronic warfare resource in coordination with a jamming signal emitted from each of the at least one second electronic warfare resource in the at least one second station having replied with a message indicating a service accept.

6. The method according to claim 5, further comprising:

maintaining the emission of the jamming signals (J_A;

J_B) until the at least one threat warning system indicates that all threats being combated by the jamming signals have ceased to constitute threats, or

a deactivation order is received from the at least one second station in respect of the jamming signals.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the coordination of the usage of the at least one first and second resources comprises:

determining an absolute point in time when the emission of the particular type of jamming signal shall begin; and

determining a time synchronizing pattern for the emission the particular type of jamming signal from the first electronic warfare resource and the at least one second electronic warfare resource.

8. A computer program product, comprising:

a computer readable medium; and

computer program instructions recorded on the computer readable medium and executable by a processor for producing jamming signals, wherein the computer program instructions for carrying out a method comprising;

receiving a wireless time reference signal from an external resource,

exchanging messages over a wireless data link, and

generating at least one type of jamming signal based on the time reference signal and the messages, the at least one type of jamming signal being emitted from two or more stations physically separated from one another and associated with one another in a group of stations,

wherein the messages comprising data pertaining to a usage of at least one first electronic warfare resource in a first station in the group and at least one second electronic warfare resource in at least one second station in the group, and wherein the program code comprising instructions for coordinating the usage of the at least one first and second resources based on the messages and the time reference signal, such that a particular type of jamming signal is emitted alternately either from the at least one first resource or from the at least one second resource essentially without any over-laps or gaps in time.

9. A computer program product in a computer readable medium having computer program code recorded thereon, wherein the program code includes sets of instructions comprising:

first computer instructions for exchanging messages (D) over a wireless data link (L), and second computer instructions for generating at least one type of jamming signal (J_A;

J_B) based on the time reference signal (T) and the messages (D), the at least one type of jamming signal (J_A;

J_B) being emitted from two or more stations (100, 200, 300) physically separated from one another and associated with one another in a group of stations,

wherein the messages (D) comprising data pertaining to a usage of at least one first electronic warfare resource (R₁₁i) in a first station (100) in the group and at least one second electronic warfare resource (R₂₁) in at least one second station (200) in the group, and

third computer instructions for coordinating the usage of the at least one first and second resources (R₁₁, R₂₁) based on the messages (D) and the time reference signal (T), such that a particular type of jamming signal (J_A;

J_B) is emitted alternately either from the at least one first resource (R₁₁) or from the at least one second resource (R₂₁) essentially without any overlaps or gaps in time.

10. An electronic counter measures station for radiating jamming signals, comprising:

a receiver unit adapted to receive a wireless time reference signal from an external resource;

a communication unit adapted to exchange messages over a wireless data link; and

at least one electronic warfare resource adapted to generate and emit at least one type of jamming signal based on the time reference signal and the messages, wherein

the communication unit is adapted to exchange the messages with at least one other electronic counter measures station which is physically separated from the station and is associated with the station to form a group of stations;

the messages comprise data pertaining to a usage of the at least one first electronic warfare resource and at least one corresponding second electronic warfare resource in at least one other electronic counter measures station in the group; and

the station comprises a resource handling unit adapted to, based on the messages and the time reference signal, coordinate the usage of the at least one first and second resources such that a particular type of jamming signal is emitted alternately either from the at least one first resource or from the at least one second resource essentially without any overlaps or gaps in time.

11. The station according to claim 10, further comprising:

a database including;

a threat library specifying signal parameter information pertaining to a number of known threats;

a counter measure library specifying a complete set of electronic warfare resources containing any resources which are included in at least one of the stations in the group; and

a table which for each of said threats identifies at least one of the resources in the complete set of electronic warfare resources that is estimated to constitute an appropriate counter measure to combat the threat.

12. The station according to claim 11, wherein the counter measure library for each resource in the complete set of electronic warfare resources specifies a time synchronizing pattern describing a timing profile for a jamming signal to be emitted by the resource in respect of each of said known threats.

13. The station according to claim 10 wherein the resource handling unit is adapted to repeatedly control the communication unit to exchange status messages with the other stations in the group, each message reflecting a current availability of the electronic warfare resource included in the station from which the message is transmitted.

14. The station according to claim 13, wherein the resource handling unit comprises:

a local resource listing which for each electronic warfare resource included in the station specifies whether the resource is currently available or not for emitting jamming signals; and

a group resource listing which specifies an activation status for each electronic warfare resource included in the at least one other station of the group; and

wherein the resource handling unit is adapted to update the group resource listing with a current resource activation status for each resource of the electronic warfare resource included in the other stations in the group based on any received status messages from the other stations in the group.

15. The station according to claim 14, wherein the station is associated with at least one threat warning system, and the resource handling unit is adapted to:

determine, based on an output from the least one threat warning system and the resources activation statuses, whether at least one particular threat is appropriate to combat by means of a first electronic warfare resource in this station in coordination with at least one second electronic warfare resource in at least one second station in the group; and

if such a coordination is found to be appropriate

control the communication unit to transmit a request message from the first station to the at least one second station;

control the communication unit to wait for at least one reply message being returned from the at least one second station in response to the request message; and

if the least one reply message indicates a service accept

emitting a jamming signal from the first electronic warfare resource in coordination with a jamming signal emitted from each of the at least one second electronic warfare resource in the at least one second station having replied with a message indicating a service accept.

16. The station according to claim 15, wherein the resource handling unit is adapted to maintain the emission of the jamming signals until the at least one threat warning system indicates that all threats being combated by the jamming signals have ceased to constitute threats, or

the communication unit receives a deactivation order from the at least one other station in respect of the jamming signals.