ERA handed over the passive surveillance system DPET to the Czech Armed Forces

DPET (Deployable Passive ESM Tracker) is the deployable version of the latest generation of the VERA-NG system, developed and designed to fit the specific needs of the Czech Armed Forces. It will replace the previous generation VERA S/M, which has been in use since 1996. The new system will be operated by the soldiers of the 532^nd Electronic Warfare Battalion (part of the 53^rd Reconnaissance and Electronic Warfare Regiment).

Passive surveillance systems (PSS) have a long tradition of use in the Czech Army. The current system is based on R&D going back to the 1960s, with its predecessors including the world-famous systems Ramona and Tamara. DPET (in NATO terminology Deployable Passive Electronic Support Measures Tracker) is based on the latest generation of Passive ESM Tracker VERA-NG.

VERA-NG is the most advanced and only proven passive surveillance system, capable of solving different use cases - Air Surveillance, Ground Based Air Defense and Electronic Warfare - at the same time. It is designed for detection, localization, tracking and identification of air, ground, and naval targets as well as pulse and continuous wave signal analysis, utilizing the multilateration Time Difference of Arrival (TDOA) principle. The system emits zero electromagnetic energy making it ‘invisible‘ to adversaries.

The VERA-NG battle proven use cases are as follows:

Air Surveillance
A passive sensor (Passive ESM Tracker) is able to complement traditional active radar AD networks thanks to standardized data output ASTERIX and AWCIES, which can be easily integrated to any Command-and-Control posts. In its deployable version, it can also be used within NATO’s deployable air surveillance and control unit DARS.

Ground Based Defense (GBAD)
Thanks to supremacy in real-time detection and identification of airborne targets (fast movers, UAVs), in airborne domain a passive sensor plays a vital role in complementing active sensors in GBAD, otherwise vulnerable in electronic warfare.

Electronic Warfare
The surveillance system based on TDOA is much more accurate in providing valuable data compared to traditional ground-based ELINT/ESM systems. In the role of Electronic Warfare, VERA-NG tremendously contributes to Electromagnetic spectrum operations (EMSO).

The DPET system consists of one central receiving and processing station, three side receiving stations and an operator‘s workplace. The antennas are placed on collapsible masts built in the ISO-1C container. As in all the mobile versions, the entire system is transported on the platforms of customized trucks as an integral part of the delivery.

All these above-described advantages can make a significant difference in the outcome of any battle/military mission situation involving the need for early warning and detailed target identification which could be game-changing aspects to support fast decision-making in operations.