German defense forces look to Rohde & Schwarz for military software-defined radio technology

Leaders of the German armed forces needed military software-defined radio (SDR) technology for future military command and control technology, as well as interoperable information and military communications networking. They found their solution at Rohde & Schwarz in Munich, Germany.

The Federal Office for Information Management and Information Technology of the German armed forces (Bundeswehr) commissioned Rohde & Schwarz to develop a software defined radio (SDR) for the Bundeswehr’s joint radio systems (SVFuA), which are the basis for the Bundeswehr’s future generations of software defined radios. Rohde & Schwarz will develop the base unit and demonstrate that it can be series-produced.

The SVFuA will provide the key technology for future command and control of modern armed forces. This system will contribute to the Bundeswehr’s participation in an interoperable information and communications network of joint and combined armed forces.

The SVFuA project involves developing next-generation mobile radios, which are deployed as network nodes and also as terminals with loadable, adaptive, narrowband and wideband waveforms. In the future, these radio systems will be the backbone of the mobile communications system of the Bundeswehr for all military services during missions.

The SVFuA provides self-organizing, mobile radio networks with secure, wideband voice and data communications, which is a prerequisite for the Bundeswehr’s network-centric operations capability. By using software defined waveforms, the SVFuA can be configured to meet the requirements of a specific mission.

The SVFuA will be based on the standardized software common architecture (SCA). Interoperability with radios that are already deployed ensures that existing systems and transmission methods can continue to be used.

For information, visit Rohde & Schwarz online at www.rohde-schwarz.com.