Russia Develops New Software-defined Radio

Russian NPO Angstrem has developed a radio communications system around new Russian-made hardware components.

The R-187-P1E Azart multi-mode portable software-defined radio (SDR) lies at its heart. The system makes it possible to establish a tactical communications subsystem and ensure protected data exchange under any conditions, including in an ECM environment, Rosoboronexport said in a statement Monday.

Angstrem is a Russian research and production company specializing in tactical radio communications and secure communication technology.

Frequency hopping (at a hop rate of up to 20,000 hops per second) is a software and hardware solution embodied in the new Russian radio set. Any possibility of communications countermeasures or signal intercept / direction finding is excluded in this mode, which provides high security of the transmitted information and survivability of the communications system.

The SDR platform used in the system provides the possibility of establishing communications with radio sets of different generations that operate using different protocols and frequency bands. In addition, the R-187-P1E radio is integrated into the TETRA communication system that enables communications with external parties, which is critical during special operations conducted by special force and counter-terror units in the cities and settlements where TETRA networks are deployed.

The radio set provides simultaneous support of the GLONASS and GPS satellite navigation systems, together with a capability to locate the subscriber and exchange data in automatic or manual mode. The use of the radio set in repeater mode greatly increases the communication range, while a mobile version of the radio, the Angstrem-VE, makes it possible to establish an integrated communications system for a tactical unit with the radio exchange range of at least 500 km.

The radio set has been adopted by the Russian Armed Forces and substantiated its claimed performance and reliability in the field. It is currently in series production. The Azart SDR is compatible with more than 250 types of radio equipment of various types and generations.