Rohde & Schwarz Launches NEMACS Combat Cloud at ILA Berlin 2026
Rohde & Schwarz has officially introduced NEMACS (Networked Multipoint Array Communications System) at ILA Berlin 2026, unveiling a next-generation combat cloud designed to provide secure, resilient, and high-bandwidth communications for modern multi-domain military operations.
Built for crewed-uncrewed teaming (CU-T), NEMACS combines directional communications, intelligent network management, and multiple data links into a unified communications architecture capable of maintaining connectivity across air, land, sea, and space—even in highly contested electromagnetic environments.
Designed to support future battlefield operations, the platform enables real-time information sharing while minimizing the risk of signal detection, interception, and disruption.
🌐 A Multi-Link Combat Cloud for Modern Warfare #
As autonomous systems become integral to military operations, reliable communications are increasingly critical. NEMACS addresses this challenge by creating a distributed combat cloud that allows manned and unmanned assets to exchange mission-critical information securely and efficiently.
The system integrates a centralized Communication Management Suite with multiple directional data links operating across several frequency bands, creating a resilient mesh network capable of dynamically adapting to changing battlefield conditions.
Key capabilities include:
- Secure communications across multiple operational domains
- Intelligent routing around electronic interference
- High-throughput data transmission
- Real-time sensor and mission data sharing
- Support for heterogeneous military platforms
By eliminating single points of failure, NEMACS enables continuous connectivity throughout complex joint operations.
🛰️ Engineered for Contested Electromagnetic Environments #
Electronic warfare has become a defining element of modern conflicts, with adversaries increasingly employing wide-spectrum jamming and signal intelligence to disrupt communications.
NEMACS is specifically designed to remain operational under these conditions through several advanced capabilities:
Low Probability of Detection (LPD) #
Directional transmission techniques significantly reduce the system’s radio-frequency signature, making communication links more difficult for hostile sensors to detect.
Low Probability of Interception (LPI) #
Highly focused directional communications minimize signal exposure, reducing the likelihood that transmissions can be intercepted or exploited by adversaries.
Adaptive Multi-Link Networking #
Instead of relying on a single communication channel, NEMACS continuously manages multiple links simultaneously, allowing traffic to be automatically rerouted whenever interference or signal degradation occurs.
This architecture improves network resilience while maintaining mission continuity during electronic attacks.
✈️ Example Operational Scenario #
NEMACS is designed to support coordinated operations involving multiple platforms operating simultaneously across different domains.
A representative mission could unfold as follows:
- A naval vessel detects a high-value target while operating inside a heavily jammed environment.
- High-resolution radar imagery is securely transmitted to a nearby fighter aircraft through a directional communication link.
- The fighter fuses this information with intelligence collected by multiple unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
- After target confirmation, the fighter coordinates a strike mission with an unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV).
- Following the engagement, relay drones maintain network connectivity while transmitting battle damage assessment imagery back to both naval and airborne command elements.
Because communications remain protected throughout the engagement, commanders can make faster decisions while maintaining operational coordination even in heavily contested spectrum environments.
🎯 Leadership Perspective #
According to Andreas Domann, Vice President of Multi-Domain Communications at Rohde & Schwarz, the introduction of NEMACS reflects the company’s commitment to delivering communications infrastructure capable of supporting increasingly complex military operations.
He emphasized that combining directional communication technologies with a flexible multi-domain architecture enables commanders to make faster and more accurate operational decisions, even during intensive electronic warfare conditions.
As crewed-uncrewed teaming becomes a standard operational concept rather than a specialized capability, resilient communications are evolving into a foundational requirement for future defense platforms.
⚙️ Core Components of NEMACS #
Communication Management Suite #
Serving as the central intelligence layer of the platform, the Communication Management Suite coordinates traffic across every available communication channel.
Its primary functions include:
- Dynamic traffic management across multiple links
- Intelligent prioritization of mission-critical data
- End-to-end encrypted communications
- Secure IP interoperability across heterogeneous military platforms
- Centralized communication orchestration
By continuously monitoring network conditions, the suite ensures optimal utilization of available communication resources while maintaining secure connectivity.
Directional Multi-Band Data Links #
NEMACS incorporates a family of directional communication systems operating across multiple radio frequency bands to maximize operational flexibility.
Supported technologies include:
- VHF/UHF tactical communications
- C-Band
- Ku-Band
- Ka-Band
- SATCOM connectivity
These directional links provide:
- High-bandwidth data transmission
- Long-range connectivity
- Reduced electromagnetic exposure
- LPD/LPI communication characteristics
- Improved resistance to electronic warfare and jamming
Together, these capabilities allow military platforms to exchange sensor data, targeting information, command instructions, and intelligence with minimal vulnerability to interception or disruption.
🚀 Outlook #
NEMACS represents Rohde & Schwarz’s vision for next-generation military networking, where resilient communications serve as the backbone of distributed, multi-domain operations.
By combining intelligent communication management, directional multi-band data links, and combat cloud networking into a unified architecture, the platform addresses many of the communication challenges introduced by autonomous systems, electronic warfare, and increasingly complex joint operations.
As defense organizations continue investing in crewed-uncrewed teaming and multi-domain command-and-control capabilities, solutions like NEMACS are expected to play an increasingly important role in enabling secure, high-speed connectivity across future battlefield environments.