| This article presents a fictional simulation scenario on the eastern edge of Europe in Bulgaria. It shows how RF sensor deployments and the geolocation of red force transmissions can help understand an enemy ORBAT and gather enhanced intelligence for battlefield awareness. |
An Order of Battle (ORBAT) is a structured understanding of the composition and capabilities of any formation. It breaks down the organization, equipment, command structure, and geographical distribution of military units. Assessing an enemy ORBAT is a structured and essential part of an intelligence analysis to estimate enemy capabilities, predict tactics, and plan countermeasures.
When assessing an ORBAT, planners and intelligence analysts will likely use a layered approach using multiple sources of intelligence to help strengthen the accuracy and reliability of the intelligence picture.
A SIGINT gathering component of an ORBAT could involve deploying manned and unmanned assets to detect radio communications, radar signals, and other electronic emissions.
Geolocating transmitters can help to identify and determine:
Building an ORBAT picture on a strategic level provides local commanders with a possible information advantage by understanding an adversary's potential capabilities and intentions. However, ORBATs on company or squadron level provide these tactical formations with an organic capability, which can shorten command and control, making it more effective, leading to faster and more informed decisions resulting in mission success.
For example, discovering an enemy's location by geolocating their RF emissions will allow the unit to conduct its own targeting cycle, ultimately increasing its agency.
Mission objective: Deploy RF sensors (RFeye Nodes) and other spectrum monitoring assets (RFeye Arrays) to find, fix, and then map the enemy force ORBAT, identify C2 positions, and provide intelligence for targeting, maneuver planning, and electronic warfare (EW).
In this scenario the passive sensors start detecting multiple signals of interest across different frequency bands that are known to be used by enemy communications devices.
Image 1: Three spikes on the spectrum relate to the above transmissions.
RF intelligence: These frequency bands align with known enemy transmissions and suggest a structured command and maneuver structure as they could belong to three types of communication devices used by a battlegroup.
To geolocate each transmission, operators use a combination of Angle of Arrival (AoA) and Time Difference of Arrival (TDoA), advanced geolocation techniques.
Once a transmission is geolocated, a marker can be placed on the map. Using different colors can help differentiate between different frequencies.
Image 2: DF and TDoA of a tactical radio (indicated by a green dot). The heatmap shows the probability of the signal’s location. Note that TDoA is the more accurate method in this example.
Image 3: As additional transmissions are detected and markers added, the operator can build a map of enemy unit formations and command structures.
RF intelligence: The layout of these markers provides a clear visual representation of enemy force disposition, highlighting three structured company formations, command links, and a rear communication relay.
Analyzing the pattern formed by all the geolocated RF transmissions can provide insight into the formations’ structure and behavior.
Image 4: Pattern of geolocated transmissions on a satellite view map.
Based on the geographical laydown, and cross-referenced against known uses for those frequencies, the image above likely shows three companies (red, blue, yellow). Each company comprises three platoons using MANET technology. The green dots located roughly in the center of each company are assessed to be the company HQ element: MIL-spec tactical radios used to send critical communications back to the green dot at the rear of the formation—potentially the battlegroup’s HQ.
The orange in the north-east of the image is an S-Band transmission—likely a SatCom link connecting this potential battlegroup with higher-echelon command structures.
Platoons (x9): Roughly in triangle formations (possibly indicating defensive positions) and using MANET technology for battlefield awareness.
Company command (x3): Each company command manages three platoons and is connected to the other company command via VHF tactical radios. Command elements are co-located in buildings, which can be seen by zooming in on the geolocated signals.
Image 5: Command elements are co-located in buildings
Battlegroup HQ: Identified at the rear of the formation.
Brigade-level command: Positioned at the rear of the formation and likely connected to brigade-level C2 via S-band SatCom.
Gaining an even more strengthened understanding of the ORBAT could be achieved by overlaying SIGINT with other sources of intelligence, such as satellite imagery. This would provide further context and validate the geolocated signals.
RF intelligence gathered from this simulation provides battlegroup commanders with critical situational intelligence, including enemy formation, number, and location. It reduces their dependence on brigade or national-level assets, thereby shortening C2, and speeding up company and platoons’ reaction times.
Essentially, intelligence gathered provides an information advantage that could be advantageous as either part of a targeting cycle or the Observe, Orient, Decide, Act (OODA) loop—depending on the mission’s objectives.
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RFeye Site Simulator provides EW operators with simulated RF sensors. This powerful tool can be used for teaching spectrum operations and conducting wargames, allowing EMSO professionals to simulate scenarios and resolve tactical problems.
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