In today’s operational environment, information dominance is inseparable from electromagnetic spectrum control. Across air, land, maritime, space, and cyberspace, defence and security forces rely on secure, uninterrupted access to Radio Frequency (RF) communications to achieve mission success.
Yet the electromagnetic spectrum is increasingly congested, contested, and weaponised. State adversaries deploy sophisticated electronic warfare (EW) systems, while non-state actors exploit low-cost radios, mobile networks, and uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) to communicate, coordinate, and threaten operations.
Against this backdrop, Communications Intelligence (COMINT) has become a critical force multiplier. The ability to detect, identify, track, and analyze RF emissions quickly and accurately, now underpins operational effectiveness across every domain.
The Evolving Electronic Warfare Environment
The modern electronic battlespace is more complex than ever. The proliferation of software-defined radios (SDRs), commercial communications technologies, and rapidly deployable transmitters means that almost any actor can generate RF activity.
Even lightly equipped insurgent groups depend on phones, handheld radios, and ad-hoc networks. To maintain tactical and strategic advantage, modern forces must be able to detect and interpret every signal, even in spectrum-denied or highly cluttered environments.
Traditional wideband receivers often struggled to balance bandwidth, sensitivity, and agility. Monitoring a wide section of the spectrum could come at the cost of precision, while narrowband focus improved accuracy but risked missing emerging threats. As operational demands shift between counter-terrorism, hybrid conflict, and large-scale peer engagements, legacy COMINT systems frequently lack the flexibility required for modern missions.
Next-Generation COMINT: The SPX 955 and 957 RF Collection Systems
To meet these challenges, SPX Communication Technologies has developed the 955 and 957 RF COMINT collection systems – a next-generation family of solutions engineered specifically for defence, intelligence, and security operations.
Designed for continuous, real-time signal collection, the 955 and 957 deliver enhanced situational awareness and faster decision-making across complex electromagnetic environments. Each system integrates receiver, antenna, and advanced processing software, enabling both standalone and networked COMINT operations.
Whether deployed as portable assets, vehicle-mounted systems, or part of a multi-sensor architecture, the 955 and 957 provide forces with the tactical edge required to operate confidently in contested spectrum environments.
Wideband Coverage Without Blind Spots
A defining capability of the 955 and 957 is their ability to monitor up to 80 MHz of spectrum simultaneously. This wideband coverage allows operators to maintain comprehensive awareness of the RF environment, even amid dense signal activity and interference.
When required, operators can dynamically narrow focus to specific frequencies or emitters, extracting high-resolution intelligence from signals of interest. This balance between broad surveillance and precise analysis ensures no critical emissions go undetected while maintaining the depth needed for actionable intelligence.
Look-Back Recording for Deeper Intelligence Insight
Modern intelligence operations demand more than real-time awareness. The 955 and 957 feature a 72-hour look-back recording capability, allowing teams to rewind and analyse historical RF activity once new context or intelligence emerges.
Operators can determine where a signal originated, how it moved, how long it persisted, and how it fits into broader operational patterns. Beyond the immediate look-back window, a long-term database preserves signal metadata for trend analysis, investigations, and future mission planning, providing a richer, more complete intelligence picture.
Mission Agility Across Modern Conflict Scenarios
Contemporary conflict rarely fits a single operational model. Conventional warfare, irregular tactics, special operations, and cyber activity often occur simultaneously. The 955 and 957 are designed for this reality.
Pre-loaded mission profiles allow operators to switch roles instantly, supporting everything from monitoring insurgent communications to tracking conventional military formations. This flexibility ensures COMINT assets remain relevant and effective as mission priorities evolve.
Centralised and Decentralised COMINT Operations
Operational effectiveness depends on adaptable command and control. The 955 and 957 support both decentralised frontline operations and centralised intelligence analysis.
The intuitive Blackbird user interface reduces training requirements, enabling operators to become proficient quickly and expanding the available pool of COMINT personnel. Frontline teams can analyse signals independently, while data can also be transmitted back to command centres for broader situational oversight.
Designed to operate over low-latency and constrained bandwidth, the systems ensure continuity of operations even in degraded network conditions. Multiple users can access shared datasets concurrently, each focused on different objectives or areas of interest.
Hybrid Geolocation for Faster, More Accurate Targeting
Accurate emitter location is critical to spectrum dominance. The 955 and 957 employ hybrid geolocation, combining rapid angle-of-arrival techniques with more precise location refinement methods.
This approach allows operators to quickly identify likely emitters, then apply higher-precision analysis as required – all within a single, integrated system. The result is faster targeting with fewer assets and reduced operational complexity.
Seamless Integration and Counter-UAS Capability
The 955 and 957 are fully backwards compatible with existing antennas and infrastructure, including third-party hardware. This allows defence organisations to upgrade processing capabilities while retaining proven assets, maximising return on investment.
The systems also integrate seamlessly with SPX Communication Technologies’ BLACKTALON™ Counter-UAS ecosystem. By combining COMINT and RF sensing with advanced counter-drone capabilities, operators can detect, identify, locate, and neutralise UAS threats based on their RF emissions.
BLACKTALON effectively disrupts GNSS, command, control, and telemetry links used by both commercial and military drones, while safeguarding friendly communications, ensuring airspace dominance in an increasingly congested UAS threat environment.
Achieving Spectrum Dominance with SPX Communication Technologies
Electronic warfare and communications intelligence now shape the tempo of modern operations. The ability to sense, understand, and dominate the electromagnetic spectrum defines mission success.
With the 955 and 957 RF COMINT systems, SPX Communication Technologies delivers faster detection, deeper insight, and decisive operational advantage – empowering defence, intelligence, and security forces to stay ahead in today’s contested battlespace.
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