Rockwell Collins recently delivered its latest generation of digital GPS anti-jam receiver (DIGAR) technology to the U.S. Air Force Special Operations Command (SOC). The anti-jam and anti-spoofing technology provides more than 10,000 times improved jamming resistance over the previous receiver model, and is a high-performance airborne radio solution for a wide range of aircraft, including fixed-wing, rotary-wing, and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
Radios with the DIGAR technology are available in two form factor options for legacy retrofit and forward fit applications. It operates with 16 simultaneous steered beams to provide airborne platforms with superior jamming immunity in the most severe GPS-challenged environments. Through the use of digital beamforming and nulling techniques, it provides a high level of jamming immunity (to as much as 125 dB). The jam-resistant receiver supports both space-time adaptive processing (STAP) and space-frequency adaptive processing (SFAP) beamforming techniques. It is compatible with two-to-seven-element, controlled-reception-pattern antennas with simultaneous L1 and L2 protection.
Integration and testing of the new radios is being performed through the Program Executive Office Fixed Wing (PEO-FW) at U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM). This testing represents the highest level of GPS assurance for airborne applications. With several installations planned for both forward fit and retrofit applications, DIGAR is built on an open systems architecture that enables growth capabilities across a variety of aircraft platforms. These include fighter, bomber, and transport aircraft, as well as small to large UAVs and unmanned aerial systems (UAS).
“From advanced fifth-generation aircraft to ground and maritime applications, this receiver is the most reliable military-grade GPS solution available due to its unmatched anti-jam protection levels,” said Troy Brunk, vice president and general manager of Communication, Navigation & Electronic Warfare Systems for Rockwell Collins. “This delivery demonstrates a major advancement in military technology and ensures that warfighters will have critical positioning, navigation, and timing information when it’s needed most.”
Rockwell Collins has delivered more than 100,000 anti-jam systems across weapons, aircraft, and soldier systems over the last 10 years. With a wealth of Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) simulations and live sky tests, DIGAR assures a high Technology Readiness Level (TRL) product with a flexible, programmable implementation that provides a low-risk approach to mitigating the evolving jamming landscape.
