Langkawi – Leonardo has signed an agreement with Hensoldt (the former Airbus DS Electronics and Border Security) to offer on the international market Mode 5 identification systems (IFF – Identification Friend or Foe). As part of the “Skytale” team, the two companies have already been pre-selected by the UK Ministry of Defence to upgrade the IFF equipment on more than 400 land, sea and air platforms. The IFF technology allows to distinguish the allied forces from potential threats by sending an interrogation signal to the unidentified platforms and the verification of the responses received. It is an advanced and effective password “challenge/response” system. Reliably ensuring crews about the recognition of allies is crucial to avoid accidents caused by so-called friendly fire. Since 2020, all military equipment from NATO countries must be compatible with the mode 5 standard, which integrates the most advanced cryptographic techniques to avoid the risk of misleading signals by opponents. (9colonne)
