Weather fair. Sea state: calm as a millpond. A crew of about 100 sailors are going about their routine tasks.

One of them is Raphaël. He enlisted as an electronic warfare officer (EWO) two years ago and it's his job to track down radio emissions in the area. That includes signals from other ships and aircraft, but also any handheld radios or mobile phones that may be in use.

It's a crucial job, one of the keys to detecting potential threats as early as possible so as to prevent an attack on the ship. And it's also part of the maritime force's intelligence gathering role, because having as much information as possible about the enemy lets commanders make the right decisions at the right time as the operation unfolds.

Detecting faster, intercepting further

Raphaël has a feeling these calm conditions aren't going to last. They’re three nautical miles offshore and the airwaves are zinging with activity. He's going to have to sort through a mass of signals from sources ashore, but to perform his task in these decisive moments, the EWO knows he can count on a formidable weapon — ALTESSE-H.

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ALTESSE-H is the latest model in the Thales family of communications electronic warfare sensors. Earlier versions are already in service with many naval forces, but the new capabilities of ALTESSE-H make it the best-performing product on the market:
 

• Higher power to intercept signals at very long range — twice the range of earlier models — so a threat can be detected much sooner
• Faster detection to capture shorter signals
• Automatic alerts when a signal is detected in a given frequency range
• Higher reliability for better performance in dense electromagnetic environments where rival systems struggle to keep up

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ALTESSE-H raises the alert

The antenna system high in the warship's topside structure fishes for signals in the area, and a dedicated console processes the catch. The console is integrated with the ship's combat management system (CMS) and also features a computer monitor where Raphaël can study the latest haul.

The tactical situation around the ship appears normal. Then suddenly, ALTESSE-H raises the alert. The console points to a potential danger that Raphaël needs to assess right away. In amongst the thousands of transmissions detected, a signal has just been intercepted in a frequency band known to be used by a potential enemy.

ALTESSE-H immediately provides details about the threat:

• The frequency band is the one used by the potentially hostile force.
• The source is moving so fast it must be a fast jet.
• The aircraft is communicating with a second fast jet and a ground station.

Raphaël informs his superiors and warns the radar operator to be on the look-out for a possible missile attack.

ALTESSE-H helps the EWO to manage an emergency situation while continuing to gather signals intelligence in the surrounding area to maintain tactical situation awareness. All this information is stored in a database for analysis by intelligence officers ashore.

The two aircraft have not crossed the coast and are heading north. They’re no longer an immediate threat and the tension subsides.

In the warship’s ops room, another EWO reports for duty. Before finishing his watch, Raphaël briefs his replacement on the situation because it's important to keep a close eye on the two aircraft until they disappear completely.

Warfare has changed a lot in recent years. Conventional threats still exist, of course, but terrorism is now a constant concern. Small, highly mobile groups with rudimentary offensive capabilities can cause untold damage, and Raphaël is well aware of the danger. But he also knows that these groups transmit signals too — and that he can always count on ALTESSE-H to pick them up and keep the warship and his fellow crewmembers safe.