Defence & Security
Position | Navigation | Timing
Helix Antenna Based Solutions
Detect, protect and prevent disruption of GPS/GNSS/PNT signals and source
Most sectors, civil, commercial, or military use and rely on resilient, accurate PNT information to provide services. Our ubiquitous use of Global Positioning Navigation (GPS) as a primary source of PNT information causes critical applications to be vulnerable to adversaries’ intent in causing harm by disrupting or manipulating the GPS signal.
Helix Geospace works with both government and industry partners to strengthen the security and resiliency of the national PNT ecosystem from the risks of both intentional and unintentional threats.
SATELLITE-BASED PNT IS THE LYNCHPIN OF OUR DEFENCE AND SECURITY
Resilient PNT is essential for defence forces whether in military action, or supporting humanitarian and political crises
As keepers of the peace, our armed forces must have the most effective PNT equipment, and Helix’s DielectriX antennas deliver a level of security in a small form factor unsurpassed by any other antenna technology today. Our antennas are used in portable hand-held and wearable applications for the protection of military and security personnel, and on military vehicles and other systems. As well as battlefield position/navigation applications, our antennas are used in tactical radios for crypto and network synchronisation. Trustworthy GNSS position and data communications, and the ability to mitigate against cyber-warfare is an essential layer in defence strategy.
position. navigation. timing.
Helix’s Dielectrix antennas fulfil the high-end requirements for military use in the harshest environments:
We have developed and patent-protected a completely novel approach to creating the smallest antennas capable of delivering world-beating performance for GNSS and terrestrial or satellite data communications. It combines material science, RF innovation, and precision manufacturing, and we call it DielectriX.
Resilience to interference and jamming
GNSS signals are transmitted in narrow sections of the L-band (1-2GHz), which makes a DielectriX filtering antenna highly desirable to ensure adjacent band interference is ignored. By tuning tightly to the desired signals wide-band jamming is mitigated as the antenna is able to discern the satellite signals within the individual GNSS frequency bands.
Pinpoint accuracy
Whether it’s human assets, vehicles, drones or other critical systems, in order to maintain situational superiority, each asset must know and report it’s position with the highest accuracy in real-time. Dielectrix antennas ensure that position computation is reliable at all times.
Small and lightweight
DielectriX antennas are so compact, that they can be embedded into clothing, or helmets, and hand-held and wearable devices.
Unaffected by near-field objects
Whether it’s the user of a handheld or wearable product, or the vehicle or product on which it’s mounted, DielectriX antennas are not detuned, not their performance degraded by those objects. This is a key attribute of the use of specialist high dielectric materials at the heart of the antennas.
Maximum signal strength from maximum number of satellites
DielectriX antennas naturally have a cardioid reception pattern. This means that the antenna’s gain is almost as strong at the horizon as it is in the direct overhead. Clearly this optimises signal strength from every satellite in direct line of sight from any point on the Earth’s surface or at the operating altitude of drones and aircraft.
AN AUGMENTED MULTILAYED APPROCH TO DELIVER RESILIENCE
Defeating the threats and vulnerabilities of GNSS PNT
Malicious threats are continuously emerging exposing the Achilles heel of GPS/GNSS. The loss of PNT data can result in disastrous events, damaging critical national infrastructure that is necessary for our daily lives, and threatening our security.
Self-correcting Resilient PNT systems
Helix is integrating its antennas into a sophisticated array system capable of identifying all jamming and spoofing events, locating their exact source, and then deleting their effectiveness allowing continuous resilience and accuracy of GNSS PNT. This system approach stays ahead of the cyber-arms-race and enables defence and security to be maintained to the highest level of effectiveness. Initially of significant interest to the defence sector, this unique solution based on the benefits of Helix’s DielectriX antennas will become an essential factor in safe deployment of autonomous vehicles on our roads.
Key differentiators of DielectriX antennas for use in anti-jamming/spoofing arrays include:
Arrays can be tightly clustered
the specialist dielectric materials utilies in DielectriX antennas allow antenna element spacing to be 50% of the normal half-wavelength inter-element spacing for other antenna technologies. This delivers arrays of only 25% of the footprint of traditional design methodology.
Highly accurate phase centre
with highly predictable phase centres and electromagnetic behaviour due to the core material and resonant tuning, triangulation becomes even more precise – potentially millimetres in dynamic environments – and specific sources of incoming signals can be individually identified, computed and discriminated if they are found to be malicious.
Small and robust
Our anti-jamming arrays are smaller than many basic GNSS antennas, do they deliver far superior performance and risk mitigation in a form factor compact enough for hand-held equipment and drones.
Helix is working with specialist customers on applications for it SCORPION anti-jamming/spoofing solutions. If this technology is relevant to your applications please contact us to discuss further.