Handheld Emission Detector (HED)

Establishing and maintaining real-time situational awareness is essential for virtually every operation in which the RF environment is monitored to detect the presence of a threat. Unfortunately, the hardware capable of providing this much-needed capability has historically been designed using `stovepipe' architectures that are waveform or frequency-specific, offering no agility to accommodate emerging threats. Moreover, legacy hardware is predominantly designed for vehicular use, denying the dismounted troop the opportunity to conduct signals intelligence at a forward location. Recent advances in software defined radio (SDR) architectures for tactical transceivers provide the ultimate baseline for an extremely flexible situational awareness capability. As key, on-going developments in the area of RF miniaturization pave the way for designs that are significantly smaller/lighter than legacy equipment. The `SDR + Miniature RF' design approach fully supports the objective of a small, handheld threat warning system that satisfies all near-term frequency/signals requirements, while enabling future expansion via software upgrades. Nova Engineering, a major contributor to the JTRS SDR Community and a supplier of field-proven, miniature RF equipment, will leverage its broadband SDR hardware to architect an innovative receiving/DF system. Critical SDR and DF capabilities will be demonstrated to provide a low-risk technology transition plan into Phase II.