Turkish company ASELSAN has won the NATO Communications and Information (NCI) Agency’s Fifth Annual Defense Innovation Challenge. ASELSAN participated with two separate projects in the NCI Challenge along with many other projects from allied NATO countries, aimed at improving distributed air surveillance radar data processing.

The jury for the innovation challenge was composed of experts from NATO and AFWERX, an organisation of the US Air Force. From several dozen proposals, the jury selected eight proposals for the final phase. This year, the focus was on improving distributed radar data processing to enable NATO air operations to use the latest technologies available in the defence sector and beyond. The challenge for the participating companies from all NATO countries was to accelerate ideas, technology and the latest solutions.

One of the solutions suggested by ASELSAN is an architecture in which a module operates a local radar as an “AI Operator”, with the intelligence gathered from other radars. Studies showed that the AI Operator controls the radar in a very precise and quick manner that no human operator can, hence significantly improving the performance of the radar in a selected network. The other ASELSAN solution was “The A-Fact”, which fuses all information from different sources into a single air picture. The NATO radar network will be capable of working effectively and intelligently with the assistance of A-Fact even in a dense and cluttered environment.

Sector Experience

During this process, ASELSAN was able to apply its valuable experience from previous competitions. During the EAST-2019 Exercise, the software Tactical Area Information System (TAIS) and Tactical Area Command & Control Information System (TACCIS), which were developed and successfully deployed within the framework of the project “Networked Enabled Capability”, were used to create a tactical situation and reflect the current situation throughout the exercise.

ASELSAN’s qualified, competent and professional staff not only develop high-end technology, but also continue to make a difference with their innovative ideas around it. Thus, ASELSAN will pioneer new business opportunities in the global arena by proposing these projects which utilise AI at its best for operation of NATO radars in the most well organised and meticulous manner. By winning the 2020 Challenge, ASELSAN has a chance to put these systems into operational use for NATO’s collective security, through a competitive bid with the NCI Agency.

Date: 10.11.2020

Source: European Security & Defence