Electronic reconnaissance

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Electronic reconnaissance (EloFm; English Electronic Intelligence - ELINT ) refers to the recording and evaluation of electromagnetic emissions that are not used for communication, such as positioning, control, steering and navigation systems with the aim of gaining knowledge. Together with telecommunications intelligence (Fm Aufkl; English Communications Intelligence - COMINT) and sometimes Foreign Instrumentation Signals Intelligence (FISINT), it is subsumed under the umbrella term Telecommunications and Electronic Reconnaissance (Fm / Elo Aufkl; English SignalsIntelligence - SIGINT). In contrast to the electronic support measures (EloUM), which primarily serve the purpose of direct protection, the acquisition of information is in the foreground in electronic reconnaissance. Platforms for electronic reconnaissance can be aircraft, satellites , ships as well as mobile or stationary ground-based systems. The knowledge gained can be made available in a reconnaissance network as a contribution to the overall military situation .

species

Electronic intelligence can be divided into two sub-categories.

Operational ELINT

ELINT in action (Operational ELINT - OPELINT) is used to obtain information about the location, movement, use and activities of radiation sources and at the same time about the associated units / associations and weapon systems of an opponent. In addition to platforms explicitly intended for this task, weapon systems are equipped with receivers that use the data obtained directly for tactical self-protection measures (e.g. evasive maneuvers) and electronic countermeasures .

Technical ELINT

Technical electronic reconnaissance (Technical ELINT - TECHELINT) deals with signal characteristics, types of use, functionalities, strengths and weaknesses of emitters. It is usually carried out with specialized reconnaissance platforms.

Detection of radar systems

ELINT is often used in the area of ​​reconnaissance for enemy air defense, as this is mostly based on the use of radar systems both for establishing the air situation and for (pre-) briefing of air defense systems. All available ELINT systems are used to investigate the emitters. These are equipped with passive sensors that are set, for example, to the frequency bands of the opposing radar devices. In this way, both the type and the current location of these systems can be determined. Furthermore, it can be determined promptly which mode a system is in, for example whether it is still in search mode or already in target tracking mode .

Early ELINT devices were:

Examples of the Bundeswehr's ELINT platforms

An airborne ELINT platform of the Bundeswehr was the Breguet Atlantic in the measurement version , which was to be replaced by the unmanned EuroHawk . The ECR Tornado can also be used in the ELINT role, in particular for the reconnaissance of enemy air defense systems.

The Fuchs armored personnel carrier with the direction finder kit can determine the location of enemy radio stations.

The navy operates fleet service boats that, among other things, carry out reconnaissance in the electromagnetic spectrum.

See also

Individual evidence

  1. ^ A b Joint Publication 2-0 - Joint Intelligence. ( Memento of February 27, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) June 22, 2007 (PDF; 3.04 MB).
  2. ^ Breguet Atlantic BR 1150. German Navy, archived from the original on July 28, 2010 ; Retrieved July 16, 2009 .
  3. ↑ Big step into the future. (No longer available online.) November 3, 2003, formerly in the original ; Retrieved July 16, 2009 (press release).  ( Page no longer available , search in web archives )@1@ 2Template: Dead Link / www.luftwaffe.de
  4. ↑ fleet service vessel OSTE class (423). German Navy, archived from the original on March 7, 2008 ; Retrieved July 16, 2009 .