Who buys the ultra-expensive test equipment, and what's it used for?

[pdenisowski]

Who is buying this?!  Where is it used?  What industries need this sort of test equipment and why?  I mean these questions earnestly.

The ESMD is primarily used for spectrum monitoring, communications intelligence, and signals intelligence.  A lot of customers are mil/gov, but we have civilian customers for the ESMD as well.

But what's driving the development of this new ever-more capable, ever more expensive equipment?  It seems like the test equipment industry is alive and well as it's ever been over the past 50 years.  I wouldn't even know what to do with a $400k wideband receiver.

As spectrum gets more crowded and signals become more challenging (wider bandwidths, frequency hopping and low POI, etc.), radiomonitoring and radiolocation also require greater capability.

[pdenisowski]

Also, R&S will provide it's customers with paid support and training, which Siglent customers don't get.

I was one of those people who provided support and training on R&S products, including this one (the ESMD).  And we didn't charge extra for it

[pdenisowski]

Fun fact, test equipment engineers and their families need to eat too.

Yes, yes they do.

[Smokey]

yes! pdenisowski, coming to the defense of the high end test equipment manufacturers!  Love it.
Keep making cool stuff, even if I can't afford it....