Rohde & Schwarz subcontracted for Australian high-frequency communications programme

Rohde & Schwarz has been subcontracted by Babcock Australasia to provide its R&S SK4110 HF transmitters (pictured) and software-defined radios for the Australian DoD's Enhanced Defence High Frequency Communications System programme. (Rohde & Schwarz)

On 26 April, German firm Rohde & Schwarz announced that it will supply its R&S SK4110 high-frequency (HF) transmitters and software-defined radios (SDRs) for the Australian Department of Defence's (DoD's) Enhanced Defence High Frequency Communications System (EDHFCS) programme.

Rohde & Schwarz has been subcontracted for this delivery by Babcock Australasia, which secured the contract for the EDHFCS programme in October 2022.

The EDHFCS programme is framed by Australia's Joint Project 9101, also known as Project Phoenix, which seeks to replace the Australian Defence Force's (ADF's) existing HF communication system that entered service in 2004 and will reach its effective end of life in 2025.

The R&S SK4110 “matches” Australia's requirement for advanced long-range beyond-line-of-sight (BLOS) communications with high data rates and reliability, Rohde & Schwarz said.

The self-sufficient liquid-cooling system of the R&S SK4110 HF transmitter enables it to have a longer service life and lower failure rates by minimising thermal load on all components, the company added.

“[The transmitters also] feature critical module redundancy, that is, uninterruptable transmission and operation in case of power supply failure or HF output stage failure,” Rohde & Schwarz said.

According to company specifications, the R&S SK4110 has a power output of 10 kW and can transmit in the shortwave band in the frequency range 1.5–30 MHz. The system consists of a software-based exciter, liquid-cooled high-power amplifiers, and is supplied with a heat exchanger and pump unit.