Airbus awarded German IFF modernisation contract
Airbus Defence and Space has been awarded a follow-on contract by the German procurement authority to upgrade the German armed forces’ identification-friend-or-foe systems to the new NATO Mode 5 standard. The contract was announced on 2 December.
The new standard aims to improve the distinction of friendly and hostile forces to reduce the incidence of friendly fire attacks.
Airbus will upgrade the existing IFF interrogator and transponder equipment of the German military, including adapting the existing STR 2000 transponders onboard all flying platforms to the Mode 5 standard.
The adaption will also be applied to the Monopulse Secondary Surveillance Radar (MSSR) 2000 I interrogators in all land-based platforms.
IFF systems precisely identify ships and aircraft by automatically sending interrogation signals which are answered by transponders onboard the incoming aircraft or ship, enabling field commanders to quickly distinguish friendly from hostile forces. Unlike Mode 4 used, Mode 5 employs sophisticated encryption techniques to avoid hostile signal manipulation, thus ensuring that the identification process is absolutely reliable and secure.
Following a first contract awarded in 2013, the next phase of the modernisation programme covered by the current contract is scheduled to last until 2016.
You may also like
More from Digital Battlespace
-
![Airbus launches final CSO observation satellite for French Armed Forces]()
Airbus launches final CSO observation satellite for French Armed Forces
Airbus was awarded the Composante Spatiale Optique (CSO) contract at the end of 2010. This included an option for a third satellite, which was activated after Germany joined the programme in 2015.
-
![Intelligence advantage: How real-time GEOINT is reshaping military decision-making (Studio)]()
Intelligence advantage: How real-time GEOINT is reshaping military decision-making (Studio)
In today’s contested operational environment, adaptability is key. The new Geospatial-Intelligence as a Service (GEO IaaS) solution from Fujitsu and MAIAR empowers militaries by enabling intelligence advantage, combining advanced technology with human expertise to deliver actionable insights.
-
![Israel sets up new department to boost development of AI and autonomy]()
Israel sets up new department to boost development of AI and autonomy
Israel will continue to develop autonomy for its weapons and platforms as it brings together defence personnel, academia and industry.
-
![Clavister contracted to supply cyber protection for CV90s]()
Clavister contracted to supply cyber protection for CV90s
Clavister CyberArmour, an integrated defence cybersecurity system, will be used on BAE Systems Hägglunds’ CV90 platform in deployments with a Scandinavian country, as well as in an eastern European nation.
-
![Lockheed Martin completes tactical satellite demonstration and prepares for launch]()
Lockheed Martin completes tactical satellite demonstration and prepares for launch
The tactical satellite (TacSat) is an intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) system and will participate in exercises in 2025.
-
![AUSA 2024: General Micro Systems adds four new products to the X9 Spider family]()
AUSA 2024: General Micro Systems adds four new products to the X9 Spider family
The airborne three-domain, the two ground-based and the ¼ ATR OpenVPX-based cross-domain systems were engineered to provide real-time security across multi-domain operations.
