The Army on the move requires a sophisticated EW capability, both passive and active, for it to operate effectively. Australia’s Army is highly mobile and capable, but small in size. The challenge is to make every soldier is productive as possible, handing off repetitive, time-consuming, or dangerous tasks to autonomous systems.
Electronic warfare is one example of where autonomous systems can complement the soldiers on the ground. Historically EW equipment has been bulky and expensive, either housed in fixed locations, such as a deployed HQ, or more recently under LAND555 as equipment installed in some Bushmasters. The Bushmaster-based EW capability requires a crew of two or three in a high-value vehicle.
Agent Oriented Software and Asension have combined their complementary capabilities to produce an autonomous EW capability: Hercules EW™.
Hercules EW™ is a game changer, offering a distributed, resilient EW capability. Hercules EW™ is based on a number of small autonomous ground vehicles, and potentially small UAVs, that work together as a team. Each vehicle mounts a small, low-cost EW transceiver, the Wombat, and they work together to provide a highly effective, distributed EW capability. The system is embedded within the ground force, providing dismounted soldiers with organic EW protection and electronic attack capability.
The system builds upon the Hercules™ MANET resilience system demonstrated to Army in 2021. Its advantages include:
- Sovereign EW capability designed for Australian Army needs.
- Low-cost distributed EW capability.
- Resilient communications mesh network.
- Spectrum monitoring for channel assurance and allocation.
- Network awareness provided by RF spectrum monitoring.
- Ultra-wideband radar for detection of concealed threats.
- High-power illuminator for bistatic operations.
- Cognitive tools for pre-emptive Electronic Attack.
For more information about the Hercules EW™ system please watch the video above or visit the product page on our website.
