UK surveillance specialist Chess Dynamics’ vehicle surveillance system, Hawkeye MMP, has demonstrated an electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) as part of the Norwegian Defence Materiel Agency’s (NDMA) Observation Targeting and Surveillance Systems (OTAS) project. 

In October, the NDMA selected Chess Dynamics to provide surveillance systems for its CV90 armoured reconnaissance vehicles. The mast-mounted observation and surveillance system deployed from the Norwegian CV90 reconnaissance vehicle will provide extremely accurate battlefield data including:

• Timely and accurate targeting data
• Persistent surveillance
• Wide-area situational awareness
• Radar detection and tracking

 The unique requirements set out by the NDMA included standard EMC tests such as MIL-STD-461 and specifically the precise Nuclear Electro Magnetic Pulse (NEMP). This was alongside more bespoke requirements to ensure compatibility with the vehicle’s existing high-frequency, very high-frequency and ultra-high frequency radio systems without any internal frequency interference.

Chess developed a multi-staged approach which included board-level testing, meeting UK-based EMC qualifications and complete vehicle system tests, as well as designing novel modular solutions to pass the NEMP testing at the first attempt. Steps were taken alongside the NDMA so that requirements were met while ensuring environmental and usability needs were not impacted.

Chris Henderson, electronics group leader at Chess Dynamics said, “The demands of the battlefield today are increasingly complex and require adaptable, high-performance solutions. The NDMA required a technology of this kind that also met its own strict EMC requirements, and we are thrilled to have succeeded in this. This is a major achievement for Chess, and we believe this technology will be vital as resilience becomes increasingly important to surveillance capability.”

The NDMA said Chess Dynamics was able to provide a solution that passed the EMC tests, proving Hawkeye MMP’s ability to perform while remaining resilient on the battlefield.