From June 10 to 14, 2026, Berlin Brandenburg Airport Willy Brandt will once again become a center of the international aerospace industry as part of ILA Berlin 2026. German company Rohde & Schwarz presented the NEMACS (Networked Multipoint Array Communications System) directional encrypted communications system.
Image: Rohde & Schwarz
The new directional, multichannel solution debuting at ILA Berlin 2026 ‒ an ACC (Air Combat Cloud) control network called NEMACS ‒ is intended to provide secure, network-centric, high-throughput communications for cooperation between crewed and uncrewed aircraft across all domains: air, land, sea, and space, while protecting the data stream against detection and interception.
In a world where autonomous and uncrewed platforms, together with crewed assets, are becoming the backbone of modern warfare, NEMACS is designed to provide an ultra-secure, ultra-high-throughput link that keeps every platform connected, even when an adversary floods the spectrum with jamming and conducts EW (electronic warfare). Built around a powerful CMS (Communication Management Suite) and a family of directional data links covering the C-band, Ku-band, and SATCOM (satellite communications), Rohde & Schwarz’s NEMACS system will create a resilient, multi-link mesh that can bypass jamming, remain invisible to hostile sensors through LPD (low probability of detection) and LPI (low probability of interception), and ensure real-time data flow across air, land, sea, and space. The result is a true combat cloud in which crewed and uncrewed aircraft, naval vessels, and land forces exchange sensor information, routing data and commands without a single point of failure.
As an example, one can imagine a scenario in which a naval vessel detects a high-value target in a heavily jammed corridor. NEMACS instantly transmits a high-resolution radar image to a nearby combat aircraft, which then fuses it with imagery from several uncrewed aircraft, tracks the target, and coordinates a strike with an uncrewed aircraft ‒ all via the same encrypted link. After the engagement, relay drones keep the data highway open for battle damage assessment, transmitting crystal-clear video to both the aircraft and the vessel. According to Rohde & Schwarz, NEMACS means faster decision-making, greater survivability, and mission success ‒ no matter how contested the radio spectrum becomes.
“The launch of NEMACS at ILA 2026 demonstrates our commitment to providing the armed forces of today and tomorrow with a communication backbone that is as agile and resilient as the platforms it connects,” said Andreas Domann, Vice President of Multi‑Domain Communications at Rohde & Schwarz. “By fusing directional technology with a flexible, multi‑domain architecture, we enable commanders to make faster, better‑informed decisions, even when the spectrum is under attack.”
“In the operational environment, crewed‑uncrewed teaming is no longer optional, it is essential,” he continued. “Rohde & Schwarz’ solution gives the confidence that data links will survive the most aggressive electromagnetic‑attack environments, keeping assets coordinated and missions on schedule.”