Argon ST, a Boeing [BA] subsidiary, looks to continuously evolve its signals intelligence and electronic warfare products deployed by the Marine Corps, a company executive said ahead of plans to display some of the units at the Modern Day Marine exposition opening recently at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Va.
Argon ST’s Pinch Hitter, Shockwave and Gen 5 Adder systems are designed to detect and engage a range of enemy communications on the battlefield, allowing the warfighter to tap into radio, cell phone and satellite communications to listen in and gather intelligence, or jam the signal or to target the source, said Joe Carlin, Argon ST’s vice president and general manager.
Pinch Hitter is about the size of a shoebox and can be carried in Humvees. The larger Shockwave and Gen 5 Adder systems can also be transported on the ground and carry a bigger punch to focus on a specific signal, he said.
The key is keeping up with ever advancing communications technologies, such as smart phones and faster networks to keep the Marines up to speed in countering enemy communications in combat, Carlin said.
“The threat signals keep changing with every new iPhone,” Carlin said. “Staying current in what are the threat communications is critical.”
“That’s what we’re continuously moving toward…,” he said. “Communications will continue to evolve.”