Advanced SDR a Secure Investment for the Future
Rohde & Schwarz’ SOVERON D radios for the Bundeswehr’s joint radio system (SVFuA) received certification for use up to ‘Secret’ level from the German Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) on 15 February, the company announced on 7 May. The certification allows transmission of data and voice at Unclassified, Restricted and Secret levels, allowing classic command and control capability at all echelons.
In 2017, following many years of joint development, the Bundeswehr signed a contract with Rohde & Schwarz for procurement of the SVFuA – series designation SOVERON D. The equipment operates on the principle of the software defined radio (SDR) and offers secure, trustworthy communications. The company has relied on its in-house cryptology development as a key national technology.
When development ended in 2016, it was determined that SOVERON D met the requirements for certification in line with the internationally recognized Software Communications Architecture (SCA 2.2.2) standard for SDR radio systems, which was a prerequisite for customer acceptance.
“SOVERON D is one of the most advanced commercially available SDRs with unique capabilities, and Rohde & Schwarz expects it to give future projects of the German armed forces an enormous boost toward connected, secure and jam-proof transmission of voice and data,” commented Hartmut Jäschke, Executive Vice President Secure Communications. “The SOVERON network architecture from Rohde & Schwarz, consisting of SDRs and associated network-capable waveforms, is a key prerequisite for a comprehensive, interoperable system solution […] In the future, SOVERON D will also use the ESSOR high data rate waveform that was developed within the framework of the trans-European interoperability initiative for armed forces at the tactical level, an initiative the Federal Republic of Germany has joined. In line with the SDR concept, further waveforms can be later loaded on SOVERON D as software. This makes SOVERON D a secure investment for the future and supports the digitalization of the German armed forces. The project is on track to deliver the first series-produced units to the customer.”
