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The CSIR’s radar and electronic warfare (EW) area
provides Defence Evaluation Research Institute (DERI)-related
offerings such as contract research, technology development,
operational test and evaluation support, acquisition support,
performance requirement studies, expert consultation and
training to the South African National Defence Force (SANDF),
select international defence research organisations as well
as the local and international industry.
Radar knowledge originated from the technology transfer
South Africa received from the United Kingdom in 1939. Capitalising
on the strong history in tracking radar and platform self-protection
against electromagnetic threats, the radar and EW area has
built up a significant knowledge base in the broader field
of radar and EW over the past 15 years.
The area consists of three groups that work in close cooperation
to provide products and services such as platform self-protection,
strategic surveillance, test and evaluation facilities and
the emerging research areas of persistent real-time surveillance
and communications EW.
The knowledge base in radar and platform self-protection
focuses on the development of advanced electronic countermeasure
and electronic counter-countermeasure techniques as well
as support to the South African Navy (SAN) on the optronic
radar tracker (ORT).
The competence has grown significantly in the area of specialised
radar and EW test and evaluation facilities. Of particular
note is the state-of-the-art, internationally competitive
digital radio frequency memory (DRFM) technology developed
since the late 1980s and the mobile radar measurement facilities
such as Fynkyk, Fynmeet and MecORT.
The increased need for persistent, ubiquitous surveillance
(as perceived from interactions with the SANDF and other
state departments) has grown from a user requirement study,
titled 'Over the Horizon Radar' in 2002, to a fully-fledged
research programme. Here, the radar and EW area looks at
creative, innovative technology developments through which
to provide a network of intelligent sensors on various platforms
with an effective dissemination strategy to provide true
situational awareness to its user community. The research
programme is collaborative and leverages key elements of
the required technology from other areas in the CSIR, South
Africa and internationally.
The paramount importance of people and their skills to
facilitate and leverage processes and facilities to provide
impact forms an important element of this CSIR area's identity.
As such, high priority is given to issues of continued education
and postgraduate studies, as well as finding innovative
ways to increase the pipeline of top quality researchers.
Each of the major capabilities is supported by people, facilities
and processes in the different groups, and the capabilities
are in many cases established across research groups. For
this reason the research area has a strong culture of collaboration.
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