Introduction
The CapTech Radar and Electronic Warfare (EW) is where radar experts from across the EU, industry and academia meet to advance radar and electronic warfare defence technologies. It covers systems that use radio frequency (RF), magnetic and electronic technologies, including the signal processing, propagation and signature control and reduction.
The CapTech Radar & EW helps generate collaborative projects and supports participating Member States in preparing wider programmes and common initiatives in radio frequency, magnetic and electronic technologies.
Technology Building Blocks
Technology Building Blocks (TBBs) are the specific technological focus areas that guide the CapTech’s activities and research priorities. The CapTech Radar & EW has identified technology gaps and main challenges for RF systems in defence. These have been translated into nine TBBs:
- Detection, tracking and recognition of challenging targets: Algorithms for reliable detection, parameters’ estimation, localisation, tracking and identification of challenging targets.
- Advanced front/back end: building blocks for improving RF system performance and reliability enhancement.
- Electronic warfare: Techonlogies for advanced electronic warfare, including detecting signals, protecting systems, disrupting threats, and gathering electronic and communications intelligence.
- Multi-platform RF systems: Bi/multistatic radars, distributed apertures, MIMO radars, netted radars, and Positioning Navigation and Timing (PNT) for multiple platforms.
- Cognitive radars: AI-enabled radar systems that sense their environment and dynamically adapt their signals for better detection and tracking.
- Scalable Multi-function RF Systems: Analysis and definition of appropriate systems, software and hardware architectures, systems engineering, resource management and sensor fusion, and standardised interfaces with platforms.
- Specific radar applications: Through-the-matter Radars, Beyond-Line-of-Sight (BLOS) Radars, RF radiometric sensors and weather radars.
- Disruptive concepts: Fully photonic radar systems, (3D) printed antennas, quantum radars, vortex radars, nano-electronics technologies, and Artificial Intelligence for RF sensors design.
- Common EU benchmarks for validation, verification and standardisation: benchmarks and validation criteria for RF systems, infrastructures and test equipment, simulation framework for RF sensors and systems, and reference database for RF processing.
Link to EDA’s capability domains
The CapTech Radar and EW supports capability domains, such as electromagnetic warfare, persistent and resilient C4ISTAR (Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance), space operations, combat, command and control, force protection & survivability, situational awareness and sensors.
By aligning with these capability domains, CapTech Radar & EW ensures that its activities directly support the development of advanced sensor capabilities.
Radio frequency technologies can play a significant role in enhancing new military equipment for air, maritime, land and space platforms. They are strongly interconnected with other CapTechs, particularly those on Components, Space and Optronics, which provide complementary hardware inputs and systems.
Join the CapTech
The CapTech Radar & EW meets three times per year. All information is shared via EDA’s online collaborative workspace. In addition to CapTech meetings, EDA organises workshops dedicated to specific topics.
You can submit a request for membership to the CapTech moderator. The approval of the CapTech National Coordinator is necessary to become a Governmental Expert (CGE) or non-Governmental Expert (CnGE), and for your participation in a CapTech event.
To become a member of the CapTech (CGE or CnGE), contact:
[email protected]