digital battlespace magazine: sensing change - situation awareness in urban operations, volume 6...

Sensing change

Situation awareness in urban operations

UNUSUAL CHANNELSEuropean communications

DISTRESS CALLSCSAR technology

www.digital-battlespace.com

WAITING FOR A CONNECTIONGeneric vehicle architecture

Volume 6 Number 3May/June 2014

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30

CONTENTS

1

www.digital-battlespace.com Volume 6 Number 3 | May/June 2014 | DIGITAL BATTLESPACE

3 Comment Andrew White highlights the likely importance of

the human domain in future military scenarios.

4 News Crimea conflict spills over into cyber domain Pentagon revisits EM spectrum allocation policy Cyber security threats highlighted at DSA 2014 Havelsan signs Malaysian EW MoU

SPECIAL REPORTS8 Bits and pieces With many armies having abandoned plans for

fully integrated future soldier suites due to financial and operational changes, Ashley Roque examines how individual elements of these arguably over-ambitious programmes are still making their way to the front line.

12 Distress calls The importance of CSAR technology, particularly

communications-related, cannot be underestimated in the contemporary operating environment. Andrew White examines the offerings from the two main handheld radio manufacturers in the market.

COMMAND AND CONTROL15 Urban outfitters Developments in LiDAR, SAR and GMTI sensors are

helping shape the future of military operations in urban terrain. Scott R Gourley examines some of the active US programmes in this domain.

COMMUNICATIONS20 Unusual channels Ensuring that the voice and data transmission

capabilities of frontline troops can keep up with the operational demands placed on them is a key challenge for European militaries and their industry partners, finds Claire Apthorp.

COMPUTERS24 Waiting for a connection Multiple interoperable open architecture

initiatives are running concurrently across the defence sector. Angus Batey explores UK efforts to bring plug-and-play vehicle systems to its land forces.

ISR30 Highs and lows Special mission aircraft continue to proliferate

around the globe, with industry offering both expensive all-in-one solutions and lower-cost platforms with high-end mission systems. Beth Stevenson compares the varying degrees of operational flexibility on offer.

36 Final Word Ahead of the launch of its latest software,

Per Vices founder Victor Wollesen talks to Andrew White about the future capabilities of software-defined radios in the military market.

EditorAndrew White. [email protected] +44 1753 727023

North America EditorScott R Gourley. [email protected]

Senior ReporterBeth Stevenson. [email protected]

Business ReporterJoyce de Thouars. [email protected]

ContributorsClaire Apthorp, Pieter Bastiaans, Angus Batey, Peter Donaldson, Eugene Gerden, Ashley Roque, Richard Scott, Matthew Smith, Tom Withington

Production Department ManagerDavid Hurst

Sub-EditorAdam Wakeling

Head of Publishing SalesMike Wild. [email protected] +44 1753 727007

Commercial ManagerKevin Bethell. [email protected] +44 1753 727018

Editor-in-ChiefTony Skinner

Managing DirectorDarren Lake

ChairmanNick Prest

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Cover story: A LiDAR-generated image of the urban environment. (Image: USGS)

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3COMMENT


The human factorNATOs drawdown and eventual pull-out from Afghanistan is fast approaching. Meanwhile, as Digital Battlespace goes to press, US President Barack Obama begins a tour of Southeast Asia which will see him visit Japan, South Korea, Malaysia and the Philippines. As far as we are aware, he will not go to China.

Both events signal a major strategic swing which will have implications for NATO in the West, as well as the major Asia-Pacific powers.

Talking to NATO players, it is clear that one phrase will sum up the next evolution of the contemporary operating environment: human domain. This area certainly hasnt been ignored over the past decade of operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, but it is being reinforced by leading militaries across the globe at a furious pace.

US armed forces, spearheaded by the USMC and US Special Operations Command, recently published the Strategic Landforce white paper which explained the importance of information-gathering in highly complex situations, combining geopolitical and socio-economic intelligence. Asia-Pacific is a perfect example of where such an approach will be needed as the US continues its pivot into this delicate area of operations.

Of course, C4ISR capabilities will be vital to such a process, and it will be interesting to see the latest offerings on show at Eurosatory this year as global security forces prepare to operate in less permissive environments, underlined by Chinas navy rampantly showing off its power at the same time Obama begins his eight-day tour of Asia.

After recently reporting from the Defence Services Asia exhibition in Kuala Lumpur, it is apparent that EW capability remains high on the agenda, with major players in the region such as Malaysia agreeing MoUs with EW

specialists such as Turkeys Havelsan to assist in the development of indigenous programmes.

Describing Malaysias existing operational EW effectiveness as pretty immature, a number of companies informed us that state actors in the region are now pursuing protective and offensive capabilities as opposed to more basic listen and prepare assets. Malaysia is aware of the issues and its lack of situation awareness, one delegate explained.

Also present at the show was L-3 TRL Technology, which explained to DB how it is evolving its current EW offerings into a more holistic approach.

L-3 TRL has a rich history in the EW environment with its SmartScan product for spectrum surveillance and direction finding, but according to Richard Flitton, VP for the companys EW business division, the next operational campaign (wherever and whatever it may be), will rely upon more integrated systems.

To this end, the company revealed plans to integrate SmartScan with L-3 Wescam EO/IR technology for a demonstration with Australian land forces in September, which will provide an even greater degree of situation awareness to troops looking to gather intelligence across the human domain.

Flitton explained potential for border protection, counter-narcotics and counter-insurgency/terrorism missions as well as new areas such as anti-poaching work in Africa.

No doubt Obama has his reasons for ignoring China on his latest visit, but in light of increasing demand for information from the human domain, it appears the commander-in-chiefs armed forces are, thankfully, not following his lead.Andrew White, Editor

n Airborne commsn Vehicle intercom

n Ground-based radarn Land EW capabilities

IN THE NEXT ISSUE

Digital Battlespaces editorial team is always happy to receive comments on its articles and to hear readers views on the issues raised in the magazine. Contact details can be found on p1.

RESPONSE

DB_MayJun14_p03_Comment.indd 3 28/04/2014 17:03:57

4NEWS

DIGITAL BATTLESPACE | May/June 2014 | Volume 6 Number 3 www.digital-battlespace.com

Pentagon revisits EM spectrum allocation policyThe US DoD is to reassess its electromagnetic spectrum (EMS) operational procedures following a government-led directive to free up more capacity for commercial broadband requirements.

The DoDs EMS Strategy was released on 20 February in response to the demand for bandwidth in evolving military operating environments, as well as consumer pressure for greater connectivity for wireless devices.

The demand for more and timely information at every echelon is driving an

increase in [the] DoDs need for spectrum, the paper explained. Consumer demand for wireless devices like smartphones and tablet computers, and the associated data-intensive applications, is growing on a global basis. As a result, mobile network traffic is rising dramatically and outpacing efficiency gains.

The paper described how some 18% of the spectrum between 300MHz and 3GHz the segment most desired by the wireless community is for federal use exclusively.

The administration and Congress are considering methods to make more spectrum available, including repurposing spectrum from federal government use to wireless broadband use, even though federal agencies have exclusive use of only a small percentage of the spectrum, it continued.

The Federal Communications Commission has estimated that an additional 275MHz will be required by 2014 to meet anticipated increases in data demand.By Beth Stevenson, London

Territorial disputes between Russia and Ukraine over the Crimea have led to an increase in cyber terrorism in the region and sparked debate regarding ownership of certain attacks, an industry expert has revealed.

Cyber attacks have been evident from both sides involved in the conflict, and have used a variety of different methods that range in style and sophistication, Andrew Beckett, UK head of cyber security at Airbus Defence and Space, told a media briefing on 23 April.

Attacks have included simple yet effective methods such as the infiltration of Russian websites to accuse the country of fascist behaviour, and the recurrence of a previously used malware.

Snake malware has proliferated internationally in the past, having been found penetrating different network systems since 2005. The routing malware gains lateral movement within a network and takes control of administrator accounts from within.

Previously, IP addresses indicated that the malware originated in Russia, although this has

never been substantiated. However, 14 of the 17 cases of Snake reported this year were located in Ukraine.

It does seem focused and it would therefore suggest that it is of Russian origin, Beckett noted. But attribution based on IP addresses is not enough.

Although Snakes presence in Ukraine may suggest it is Russian software, Beckett observed that it does not appear to be state-sponsored. It has lacked the full-scale weight of state-sponsored activity, he said. What were actually seeing is loyalists and patriots on both sides of the conflict defending their political views.

He noted that the cyber agenda does not appear to be in line with physical actions undertaken by the Russian military both have to be conducted in parallel to be effective: While you can start the conflict online, you ultimately need boots on the ground. There is no correlation between cyber and political forces. This is what sways me to think its hacktivists.

Irrespective of who is conducting the attacks, they are creating an air of uncertainty within

Ukraine, and serve to promote a sense of need and subsequent instability in the country. The political benefits are great, Beckett observed.

The US has declared $50 million in aid for Ukraine, and Beckett said he would be interested to see how much of this will be allocated in support of cyber defence for the unsettled nation.

He compared the attacks in Ukraine to those that have been conducted in support of both sides involved in the current Syrian conflict.

Its not just participants in the conflict itself doing this, he added. With cyber you dont have to travel you can even rob a bank from a different country.

The tools used by criminal fraternities are the same [as those] used by state actors, Beckett continued, describing how criminals were considered to be some four years behind government agencies in terms of the sophistication of their attacks. But in reality, access to malware on the black market has closed this gap even further, he added.By Beth Stevenson, London

Crimea conflict spills over into cyber domain Cyber attacks on Ukraine are not being coordinated with physical military actions on the ground. (Photo: US DoD)

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5NEWS


Cyber security threats highlighted at DSA 2014

Havelsan signs Malaysian EW MoU

News bytesAirbus pushes on with airborne data transfer

solution25 April 2014

Harris awarded USN broadband SATCOM

contract 21 April 2014

BAE Systems CMWS software update achieves CDR

21 April 2014

Selex ES proves BriteCloud decoy technology

17 April 2014

Boeing enhances Datamaster geospatial

data tool 16 April 2014

Beretta showcases I-Protect monitoring system

15 April 2014

US Army awards vehicular SRW IDIQ contracts

15 April 2014

Airbus receives Spexer 2000 contract extension

9 April 2014

Selex ES successfully demonstrates Miysis DIRCM

7 April 2014

Kaman reaches H-60 cockpit delivery milestone

3 April 2014

VISIT www.digital-battlespace.com

FOR DAILY ONLINE NEWS.

concerns springing up from all quarters and in various forms, he said.

Elsewhere, Malaysias inspector general of police, Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar, described an ever-evolving security environment and the changing nature of warfare demands.

Cyber security is an area of concern that needs to be urgently addressed, he urged. It is indeed crucial that we are able to respond speedily to unpredictable security challenges with flexibility and innovation.

The Royal Military Police seeks to continually uphold our national security by updating our technology and processes to come down hard on criminal activities and bring those responsible to justice, Bakar added.

However, technology has also seen new innovations in the field of defence, which is especially why events such as DSA are even more important now than ever before.By Andrew White, London

Kuala Lumpur-based Impressive Communications will act as Havelsans local partner in Malaysia. Impressives Data Collection, Archiving and Transfer Service (DCATS) can be integrated into existing data servers, remote processing sites and processing software. It is capable of capturing, securing, storing and transferring high-volume data files in real time and fits in a 19in rack.

The Royal Malaysian Air Force currently uses 18 Sukhoi Su-30MKM multirole aircraft for EW missions. The jets are equipped with KNIRTI SAP-518 advanced jamming pods. The MAF also fields EW elements across army and navy units.

Havelsan already has a footprint in Asia in the EW realm, as it currently supports Pakistan, which launched its EW Test and Training Range in 2011.By Andrew White, Kuala Lumpur

Malaysias Minister of Defence, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein, has highlighted cyber security as a crucial and unconventional threat that must be tackled.

Speaking ahead of the Defence Services Asia (DSA) exhibition in Kuala Lumpur, Hussein said: The issue of national security has never been more crucial than it is today, when threats loom about more than ever before, in all kinds of forms.

The advancement of science and technology has further spurred new forms of threats, including unconventional threats such as biological weaponry [and] cyber security, he continued.

Echoing the defence ministers thoughts, Gen Datuk Raja Mohamed Affandi, Chief of the Malaysian Army, referred to an increase in cyber crime and called for higher levels of cooperation and collaboration within the security services at home and abroad.

The subject of national security is no longer independent or self-reliant, with threats and security

Turkish company Havelsan has agreed an MoU with Malaysias Impressive Communications to collaborate on EW database management and information systems for the Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF).

Signed on 15 April at the Defence Services Asia (DSA) exhibition in Kuala Lumpur, the MoU is aimed at improving the MAFs EW competence and will establish a long-term relationship to jointly develop software based on Havelsans existing solutions. A Havelsan spokesperson said the initiative would constitute the backbone of future expansion of EW capabilities in the country.

The MoU was signed by Impressive Communications CEO Tan Sri Dato Wira Abd Halim Karim, and Havelsans CEO Sadik Yamac.

Specifically, the agreement will include training electrical and electronic engineering students in EW at Malaysias National Defence University.


6NEWS


Joined-up thinking was in evidence at this years DIMDEX. (Photo: Clarion Events)

The Middle East is experiencing a change of mindset in the area of C4ISR concepts of operations (CONOPS) and procurement, according to Thales.

Speaking to Digital Battlespace at DIMDEX in Doha on 26 March, Valry Rousset, director of C4I capability development at Thales Defence & Security, described how local capabilities in the Middle East were often fragmented and heterogeneous in format.

Information overload comes very fast in this trade and [data] needs filtering and classification, he said.

Warning of stovepiped information, Rousset described diverse radar formats and warned users of the need for mitigation, stressing the importance of making the best out of legacy equipment and integration of new technology.

We must cut processing, exploitation and dissemination of 100% of material without proprietary loss of information, he continued.

Rousset also highlighted two major trends in the region, including requirements for a single integrated maritime picture, as well as increased interoperability with civil and law enforcement agencies. How do you talk to the US Navy, tankers and a Ukrainian frigate, for example?

He also explained Middle Eastern efforts to pursue the joint environment beyond traditional army, navy and air force programmes with the inclusion of law enforcement and intelligence agencies as well as fisheries commissions, maritime police and coast guard units in the wider maritime environment.

We are witnessing an accelerating trend of interest and are coming back from isolated procurement of command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance. There is a need for a much more holistic approach to C4ISR procurement, Rousset concluded.

Meanwhile, Frdric Perret, product manager for civil radars at Thales Air Systems, told DB that radars operating in the Middle East had an 80% probability of suffering negative effects associated with temperature inversion and duct propagation.

Promoting the companys Coast Watcher 100 (CW 100) radar system, which boasts anti-duct propagation technology, Perret said this could be one way to penetrate the regional market. The CW 100 has a range of 185km and is used for security and asset protection, counter-terrorism, immigration control and detection of low-altitude targets.

nn SMALLER VESSELSMeanwhile, Middle Eastern navies are seeking to equip smaller and smaller platforms with maritime C4ISR capabilities, Danish company Terma has argued.

Speaking to DB at DIMDEX, VP for defence and security Thomas Leistiko detailed the changing trends in the region, with operators looking to equip a variety of platforms from OPVs and corvettes down to RHIBs and USVs.

There is a good move towards multi-mission, small/medium-sized platforms. Our systems will help quite significantly, Leistiko said. Specifically, he outlined demand for C2,

sensor and weapons integration and communications suites.

The Middle East currently has this capability on larger platforms, but what is changing is the possibility to have fully integrated systems on board smaller platforms, he continued.

Terma is promoting its C-Series product suite which provides a range of capabilities including C2, communications, simulation, search, data links, protection and fire control. Designed as a modular solution, C-Series supports mission profiles for law enforcement, interception, anti-piracy and search and rescue, as well as supporting anti-air and anti-surface warfare. More specifically, it includes EO fire control, 2D air and surveillance radar and an IP-based data link.

Leistiko also highlighted increasing trends towards asymmetric warfare systems and requirements to identify very small targets such as swimmers, periscopes or fast attack craft.

Termas Scanter naval surveillance radar, for example, is capable of identifying such threats up to a range of 25-30km, depending upon antenna size and location. The company, which currently supports 150 radars worldwide, was unable to comment on specific contracts, but did highlight the UAE as a potential customer for such technology.By Andrew White, Doha

Seismic shift in Middle Eastern C4ISR thinking emerges at DIMDEX


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SPECIAL REPORT

8

Bits and pieces

F iscal realities, competing priorities and concluding operations first in Iraq and now in Afghanistan have smashed grand plans for equipping ground soldiers with state-of- the-art technology netted together to improve situation awareness, mobility, protection, lethal and non-lethal capabilities.

Instead, many Western militaries have opted to scale back their soldier modernisation initiatives to field less ambitious, incremental programmes. Even so, some speculate that bullseyes remain on the backs of these modernisation efforts.

If you are talking about soldier modernisation programmes in the West, the single biggest factor youve got to think of is the decline in defence budgets, Ben Barry, senior fellow for land warfare with London-based think tank The International Institute for Strategic Studies, told Digital Battlespace.

Most NATO and European countries have significantly reduced their defence budgets since 2008, and there is no sign yet that those reductions have stopped, he added. Money is short and expensive soldier modernisation programmes are going to compete with a whole load of other priorities when armies and defence ministries come to set their budgets.

There are a range of difficult decisions facing these nations many have had to decide whether to pursue an expensive, integrated soldier modernisation system or scale back ambitions and incrementally field certain elements of the puzzle. Questions relating to investment in modernisation versus readiness are also in play.

nn VARIED APPROACHES While there are various soldier modernisation contractors, designs and configurations, defence ministries primarily have two potential avenues to pursue an integrated soldier system or an incremental modernisation path.

One of the few remaining programmes under the integrated system umbrella is Frances Fantassin quipement et Liaisons Intgrs (FELIN), a big bang update to infantry equipment which also links the soldier into the network by adding a personal radio and tying the system together with personal computers,

With many armies having abandoned plans for fully integrated future soldier suites due to financial and operational changes, Ashley Roque examines how

individual elements of these arguably over-ambitious programmes are still making their way to the front line.

FIST, the UK soldier modernisation effort, has taken an incremental approach. (Photo: UK MoD)

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9SPECIAL REPORT


Barry explained. By fielding the integrated system, soldiers are expected to have improved situation awareness and the ability to quickly pass on orders and information, speeding up the tempo of operations.

FELIN is the most advanced comprehensive system there is, Barry noted. What the British and Americans have done, driven by the pressure of the Iraq war, is not go for the big bang but to go for incremental modernisation of the soldier, where they have improved the weapons, and in the case of the US improved the ammunition, as well as the day and night sights and a soldier personal radio. But they havent tied it all together with a computer and integrated it.

What many current incremental programmes including the British Armys Future Infantry Soldier Technology (FIST) and to some extent the US Armys Nett Warrior are missing is a centre of gravity, in the form of personal digital radios and soldier computers to tie it all together, Barry added.

One reason that both programmes, as well as other incremental modernisation efforts, are missing these core components is because formerly grand plans have been scaled back and later rolled out under incremental modernisation roadmaps.

nn INCREMENTAL CHALLENGESWeighing up the two options, some experts contend that the integrated approach is the ideal path, but acknowledge that it cannot always provide flexibility and accommodate tightening purse strings.

Doing an integrated approach, I think, will always be a better way to go, Dr Steven Bucci, director of the Allison Center for Foreign and National Security Policy Studies at Washington, DC-based think tank The Heritage Foundation, told DB. But its harder to do today [in the US] because of fiscal uncertainties and as you start tightening the budgets, everybody gets very territorial and starts fighting with one another, and it makes it more difficult to do integrated efforts, either across the services or between them.

Phil Cubbon, Thales UKs project director for the FIST programme, agreed that there are

challenges working under the incremental approach, including helping the customer realise his ambitions, as well as accommodating the client when it wants a new technology as quickly as possible.

The challenge is really about getting either Thales or industry to invest in new products that are going to meet that demand in the time that the customer wants it, Cubbon told DB. For example, he explained that the MoD had really wanted fused II/TI (image intensifier/thermal imager) technology two years, ago but this is only now coming onto the market and becoming affordable.

Despite some of the challenges, Cubbon contends that there are many advantages to the incremental approach.

Working on FIST, he described how Thales has been able to take advantage of technological advances as they become available and gradually build up the capability. For example, he said the incremental system allowed the company to introduce a new thermal sight which is lighter, more capable and has a smaller footprint. The sight also uses only four AA batteries instead of six, thus saving the customer money.

Bucci agreed that there are some advantages attached to an incremental approach, including

the ability to adjust programmatics and learn from each step.

There are advantages from doing it that way, its just that our systems run more slowly than development, Bucci explained. So when you do that kind of process you are going to get ahead of yourself or behind yourself.

nn WAITING GAMEDespite progress being made on many incremental soldier modernisation programmes, few are willing to openly discuss them.

Within Europe and the US, budget constraints, political questions and deciding how to proceed with defence planning leave many open-ended questions. In turn, there has been little disclosure from many governments and contractors working on soldier modernisation.

With the war in Iraq done and the war in Afghanistan winding down, the impetus to do these things quickly and well starts to drop, Bucci explained. Most of the innovation we had was driven by concerns for the operations we were doing, and now with those operations winding down, you get a huge push [saying] well we can wait on that, you know, we can accept some risk because there is nothing going on right now.

The US Army has witnessed several rebrandings of its soldier modernisation programme, which is now dubbed Nett Warrior. (Photo: US DoD)


SPECIAL REPORT

10


Requests for interviews and information about respective soldier modernisation programmes went unanswered by Frances Defence Ministry, as well as the US Armys Program Executive Office Soldier.

In Switzerland, military funding is often a sensitive topic and key decisions can be put to the people in a referendum. In May, for example, Swiss citizens go to the polls to approve or vote down a proposal to buy 22 Saab Gripen E aircraft to replace the air forces F-5 Tiger II fleet.

Prior to the vote, a spokeswoman for the Swiss Armys Integrated and Modular Engagement System (IMESS) programme declined to release any information about the modernisation effort at that moment.

Airbus Defence and Space, which is under contract for IMESSs Warrior 21 element, also choose to remain silent about the programme, saying a three-week request did not provide enough time to respond to e-mailed questions. Pressed on when it could provide information, including the contracts current value and the status of IMESS and Warrior 21 fielding, no timeline was forthcoming.

While giving an update on Frances FELIN effort, Sagem also did not provide information on IMESS. Sagem and Airbus Defence and Space are both under contract with the Swiss government for this programme.

IMESS is one example of a military and its contractors remaining tight-lipped about soldier modernisation. But when quizzed about the lack of information regarding many Western programmes, Barry responded: It doesnt surprise me, since there are few concrete programmes in the Western world and defence budgets are shrinking.

nn MODERNISATION VS READINESSWhile governments such as the US and UK have opted to forego costly integrated soldier modernisation plans, many say todays fiscal and operational realities still leave the incremental programmes as prime targets for budget cuts.

Balancing readiness and modernisation is always a challenge, as spending on new equipment decreases spending on ammunition, logistics and training, Barry explained.

In the US, for example, the Presidents FY2015 budget request reflects the services efforts to balance readiness and modernisation across the army, air force, navy and marine corps, in part because cutting personnel accounts and defence entitlement programmes is not popular.

All you have left is modernisation or readiness those are the only two pots of money left to cut from, hence you have the services making that decision for themselves, Bucci explained. The marine corps is going for readiness, the air force is going for modernisation, and the navy and the army are kind of caught in between.

But you shouldnt have to make a choice between being ready and modernising because modernisation eventually affects readiness, he added. So, the bottom line is you are either sacrificing readiness in the short term or the long term.

Despite questions over competing priorities, many programmes continue to forge ahead, and France is seemingly continuing down the path of rolling out its FELIN integrated soldier system.

As of early March, for example, a spokesperson for Sagem told DB that 14 French regiments had been fully equipped and the 16th Mechanised Infantry Battalion is in training with FELIN before deploying to the Central African Republic as part of Operation Sangaris.

This will not be the first time FELIN has been used in an operational theatre. In 2012, two fully equipped battalions were deployed to Afghanistan, according to Sagem. In total, the two conducted 130 major operations during their deployment, the spokesman added.

Meanwhile, on the incremental front, the British Army is equipping soldiers with FIST

technology to provide them with enhanced situation awareness and target engagement via a range of day, image intensification and thermal imaging equipment, according to an MoD spokesperson.

Under current plans, the service will continue rolling out the equipment through 2015, and this will then be supported by a follow-on arrangement. While a specific framework has not been firmed up, it is expected to allow capabilities to be updated based on new technologies, the spokesperson explained.

Industry is expecting the contract to be competed, and that it will call for FIST support for a number of years beyond September 2015, Cubbon noted.

They invested heavily in FIST, theyve now got it up and running though not fully rolled out and we wont see another incremental shift in [soldier and target acquisition] technology being rolled out to the British Army for another 10 to 15 years, he added.

nn SMARTER OPTIONSMeanwhile, the US Army is also moving forward with its incremental modernisation programme, dubbed Nett Warrior. With roots in the services ill-fated Future Combat Systems Land Warrior component, Nett Warrior is expected to help soldiers make quicker and more accurate decisions on the ground, in part by equipping them with a dismounted leader situation awareness system.

According to Pentagon budget documents, the White House is pushing forward with the programme and seeking $84.8 million in procurement for Nett Warrior in FY2015.

As part of the initiative to push the network down to the soldier, the army recently penned

Frances FELIN is widely regarded as the worlds leading soldier modernisation effort. (Photo: DGA)


11

SPECIAL REPORT


a contract to buy thousands of militarised Samsung Note II smartphones which can act as a personal computer.

Barry explained that previous concerns about soldier information overload are diminishing, in part because of the increase in smartphone technology in the civilian sector.

Whereas ten years ago no one had a smartphone, now large numbers of soldiers have them, he explained. If you make the centre of a modernisation programme a soldier computer based on a touchscreen-operated smartphone, you would have far less resistance to it than you had ten years ago, which is exactly what is happening with Nett Warrior.

Will other incremental modernisation programmes follow suit? Maybe not quite yet, Barry thinks, explaining that the UKs FIST

community is not prepared to push forward with a similar trial.

The UK is examining a range of options to deliver shared situation awareness, including head-up displays, smaller wrist-mounted devices and smartphone/tablet-like user devices, the MoD spokesperson explained. The weight and power needs of mobile phone base station units mean that currently mobile phones are not a realistic battlefield communications option in austere and remote locations. There are also additional security issues that prevent us from using smartphones at present.

nn MOVING FORWARDAs militaries in Europe and the US plod along with their soldier modernisation programmes, a multitude of interested parties will be watching. How will they strike the delicate balance

between rolling out new technology and maintaining readiness? What role will off-the-shelf technologies play on the battlefield? Will smartphone technologies help push the network down to the soldier?

The answers to these questions may become clearer in time as technology is rolled out under other programmes or as defence ministries find out what level their budgets will stabilise at and begin cementing plans for the future.

NATO countries are not flush with cash, Bucci said, and the US should not be banking on its allies spending more on defence: If its not optimism, its delusional. We dont want to fight another counter-insurgency anywhere, like we did in Iraq and Afghanistan, so what are we going to prepare for? Were sort of at a loss as to where we are going to have to fight and how we are going to do that. db



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Distress calls

spoofing, it is advantageous to ensure that isolated personnel are equipped and trained for CSAR recovery.

nn THE BEST HANDThe doctrine also mentions that equipment and training is of prime importance to CSAR and recovery. Besides the obvious skills acquired in survival, evasion, resistance, extraction (SERE) training, arguably the most critical element is the CSAR handheld radio carried by isolated personnel (IP).

The size of the CSAR operation is impressive and involves a number of monitoring stations across a theatre of operations as well as the entire globe which are capable of identifying distress signals before initiating and executing appropriate CSAR actions to recover IP.

Such a solution enmeshes C2 from multinational force elements (mainly dedicated units such as the USAFs pararescue jumpers and special operations forces (SOF)) plus a healthy mix of GPS technology, beyond line of sight (BLoS) voice and data SATCOM and air-to-ground and ground-to-ground LoS voice communications.

As an example, the US DoD operates up to 40 joint personnel recovery centres around the world at air bases and on maritime platforms, all of which are monitored 24/7. Such installations rely on MILSATCOM as well as SAR satellite (SARSAT) beacons.

This concoction of assets is made available to certain personnel who are deemed most vulnerable to isolation or capture by enemy forces. In todays contemporary operating

Operations in Afghanistan over the past decade have provided an interesting slant on the concept of operations (CONOPS) for combat search and rescue (CSAR) taskings. The multinational effort that is ISAF has seen NATO pooling its rescue resources although they remain predominantly US-led into a joint personnel recovery domain.

One of the many critical strands under the umbrella of SAR is CSAR, which is defined in the UK MoDs Joint Personnel Recovery doctrine as the recovery of isolated personnel in distress, from an environment in which a threat is posed by hostile interference, who are trained and equipped for CSAR.

It states: To increase the chances of success of such a mission, by minimising time in the risk environment or by reducing opportunity for

The importance of CSAR technology, particularly communications-related, cannot be underestimated in the contemporary operating

environment. Andrew White looks at the offerings from the two main handheld radio manufacturers in the market.

USAF pararescuemen or PJs secure a pick-up point in Afghanistan as part of a CSAR serial. (Photos: USAF)

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SPECIAL REPORT

environment, this can be boiled down to aircrew and SOF units on the ground, as well as other VIPs, attachments and detachments relevant to an operation.

nn STAYING DEDICATEDCritical to any mission is dedicated CSAR technology, which includes personal locator beacons (PLBs) carried or worn on the body in covert, overt or discreet fashion, handheld radio sets and ground-based/airborne base stations for voice and data communications, and laser devices specifically designed to signal rescuing platforms and personnel.

In brief, an IP equipped with a CSAR handheld radio will be able to notify rescue authorities by communicating with close air support platforms, UAV reconnaissance and relay platforms, or UHF MILSATCOM. Once rescue forces have been deployed, the same radio system will allow the IP to communicate via LoS to CSAR platforms and other blue forces, with an HQ element organising retrieval using C3 personnel recovery web applications.

On approach, the CSAR platform will be able to conduct crypto synchronisation with the IP before interrogating them for location and status. Finally, an IP will be able to send location, status and canned or free text at any time during this process.

This illustrates how the most important element of this technology is the handheld CSAR radio, which also incorporates a PLB. However, only two major players in remain for the radio element of this market.

Boeings Combat Survivor Evader Locator (CSEL) is the US DoDs standard equipment, while General Dynamics C4 Systems (GDC4S) retains control of the international market with its HOOK2 CSAR system. There are a few crossovers, however GDC4S supplies US Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) in Tampa, Florida while Boeing covers all other US Army, USN, USAF and USMC requirements.

According to Boeing, a total of 55,000 AN/PRQ-7A CSEL radios have been produced to date for the DoD, with an even split between the various services. Offering secure voice and data communications, CSEL has six

programmable voice, SATCOM and LPE channels, includes four fixed LoS UHF frequencies (for voice communications to overpassing civilian and military airborne platforms via emergency beacon channels), a SARSAT data frequency and 32 pre-set canned messages for quick transmission.

Canned messages include the most obvious pre-programmed transmissions during an operational scenario, such as enemy nearby, I am injured and moving location. The system operates at 121.5 and 123.1MHz in VHF, 225-400MHz in UHF voice and data and 406.025MHz for SARSAT.

nn CAPABILITY UPGRADEAccording to Steve Capps, Boeings CSEL programme manager, the system is undergoing an upgrade for the USAF with terminal area guidance (TAG) capability, allowing an IP to communicate directly to a rescue platform in-theatre, be it rotary-wing, fixed-wing or ground-based. This provides another means to quickly locate isolated personnel in a chaotic environment, he explained to Digital Battlespace. We expect the [US] army and navy

to follow suit to upgrade radios, but there are no hard and fast plans yet. The USAF is 75% through upgrading their radios.

Describing how the radio technology is around 20 years old, with the first CSEL contract having been signed in 1996, Capps was refreshingly honest regarding future evolution of the product. We are investing in next-generation capabilities for the longer term and are developing a new controller module to make it smaller, reliant upon less power and more reliable.

This will include a crypto modernisation upgrade in 2015, which Boeing is required to meet. Such a development will allow the handheld radio to utilise Google Earth mapping, provide a colour display and enable the form factor to be reduced, so the system could look more like a smartphone in the future.

However, highlighting the ongoing issue of sequestration, Capps noted: We would love to replace all 55,000 radios, but in reality, retrofitting them with new crypto modernisation to meet requirements and possibly introduce colour displays with new applications is the way ahead.

The HH-60G Pave Hawk is the current rescue platform of choice for the USAF.


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We are never going to get to an iPhone-type platform in my lifetime, but we will have other requirements to meet, such as surviving a 4ft drop onto concrete and operation under water ours is going to be a little more rugged.

nn SUPPORT STATIONSBoeings CSEL technology is supported by four base stations to provide a global network. Locations comprise Hawaii, Norfolk in Virginia and two in Sigonella, Italy. Furthermore, there is a backup system at Boeings Huntington Beach facility in California.

According to Boeing, CSEL has been responsible for dozens of successful rescues, although despite the huge number of sets currently deployed, the number of times such technology is relied upon in a real-time operational scenario remains small.

The issue of training remains critical to effective use of CSAR technology, Capps believes. The biggest thing is training, he said. Lots of times systems work the way they are supposed to, but the breakdown is when somebody didnt get enough training.

I met with some of the pilots who have been rescued using [CSEL] systems and they go through how the mission plays out. They are

more worried about mission planning rather than training for CSAR. We need to make sure they get enough of it. We have had cases where pilots havent had any training at all.

Looking to the future, Capps stressed that for technology everything is conceptual at this point. He added: Right now, CSEL is the size of half a brick. We are trying to get the form factor down to a third of the size, but that partly depends on batteries.

Certainly, the army is looking for more people to carry [CSAR technology] and it has a programme called Army Air Soldier [out of Huntsville, Alabama].

Currently, Boeings CSEL handheld radio weighs 0.9kg and one idea which the company is pursuing is the integration of the capability into an actual uniform, including electronics, GPS and other components.

A Samsung watch could be the control mechanism, Capps explained, highlighting the US Armys intent to release an RfP this year or next.

Furthermore, Boeing is considering tapping the General Dynamics-dominated international market, with Capps describing discussions with over 20 countries worldwide. A lot of cases have to do with funding, but some nations want a capability for interoperability with US forces and the same capability for tracking and rescue, he added.

nn ON THE HOOKMeanwhile, GDC4S is understood to have supplied a total of 33,000 CSAR systems across the international market, as well as to USSOCOM.

The HOOK2 system is utilised by 31 countries, and a GDC4S spokesperson told DB that as long as there are pilots in command of military and government aircraft and personnel working in isolated locations, there will be a need for a dependable, exceptionally accurate CSAR system.

HOOK2 includes: an AN/PRC-112G handheld transceiver; a Quickdraw2 interrogator (carried by CSAR platforms); a SATCOM base station; and a GPS-112 Program Loader for encryption keys, datum points, frequencies, waypoints and identification codes.

The 112G provides two-way messaging and LoS voice communications to rescue elements, and the radios internal GPS updates the IPs location every second when the system is active, irrespective of whether the signal is jammed or denied, the company told DB.

LoS, SATCOM and SARSAT offer multiple ways for an IP to contact rescue forces, the spokesman explained, describing how the 112G communicates LoS to the Quickdraw2 interrogator or BLoS to a SATCOM base station. By pressing the On button, the PRC-112G can be interrogated no other buttons need to be pressed. Rescue crews will still be able to extract your location and information as long as the radio is powered up.

According to GDC4S, the fact that so many countries use the HOOK2 system offers an incomparable level of international interoperability. Unsurprisingly, the company also expressed an interest in reducing SWaP requirements for the system in handheld and airborne components.

Furthermore, a demand-assigned multiple access SATCOM capability is in the offing that will assign frequencies upon request and then return to a central pool for assignment elsewhere when a mission has been completed. Currently, the 112G is also capable of adding L-Band GPRS and LPE BFT waveforms, it was added.

However, despite the past decades joint operations, neither Boeing nor GDC4S have expressed interest in any type of cooperation between CSEL and the AN/PRC-112G, and this remains particularly strange in light of the current multinational operating environment. db

The GDC4S AN/PRC-112G is operated by USSOCOM and many international SOF units. (Photo: GDC4S)

Boeings CSEL radio has been responsible for dozens of rescues. (Photo: Boeing)



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Urban outfittersGeospatial Center (AGC) (formerly Topographic Engineering Center) as an operational planning tool designed to analyse, map and display layers of urban area information.

This data, both physical and cultural, is presented and easily manipulated with the use of ArcGIS software a user-friendly, flexible geospatial tool. The digital data formats in ArcGIS can be adjusted to meet specific customer needs. The product is capable of exploiting numerous inputs such as digital terrain elevation data, commercial imagery, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency topographic products and intelligence sources.

Highlighting the programme contributions of its urban geospatial analysis team, Northrop Grumman describes the geospatial dataset within UTP as a collection of urban features that provides critical military planning information created by Northrop Grumman analysts using satellite imagery and other geospatial data.

Collected features may include transportation networks, buildings of significance, vertical obstructions, military installations, areas of occupancy, hydrological features, forests and ground vegetation, land

use, industrial sites or other features of special operational interest. Each feature contains several attribute fields that provide the military planner with the greatest amount of detail.

Company activities included the development of a unique suite of GIS tools created to speed UTP development and increase data accuracy.

nn LIDAR EXPANSIONSIn addition to more refined supporting analytical tools, one of the technologies that has expanded its support to warfighters over the past decade is light detection and ranging (LiDAR). LiDAR data supports improved battlefield visualisation and LoS analysis. Its 3D accuracy also supports the ortho-rectification of imagery, making it more accurate. Once ortho-rectified, image frames can be combined into large mosaics.

An example of its application can be seen in AGCs BuckEye programme. Born in 2004 out of the need for unclassified high-resolution geospatial data for tactical missions, it began as a helicopter-mounted digital colour camera that produced high-resolution imagery for ISR and change detection missions. In

M ilitary operations in urban terrain (MOUT) require an assessment and understanding of the physical environment and its effects on both enemy and friendly forces. Moreover, this must not only address urban structures, but the ground on which they stand, as well as other variables including the impact of weather conditions on surface and subsurface environments.

Situation awareness tools that may be developed or requested by tactical commanders include imagery, 3D representations, infrastructure blueprints, hydrographic surveys, psychological profiles, association matrices and various urban overlays.

nn PRODUCT RANGESoftware applications that have been used by the US Army over the past decade to create many of the relevant urban products range from programs such as the Analyst Notebook and Crimelink, which have link analysis, association matrix and pattern analysis software tools, to the Urban Tactical Planner (UTP).

As one representative example, the UTP was developed by the US Army Engineer Research and Development Centers (ERDC) Army

Developments in LiDAR, SAR and GMTI sensors are helping shape the future of military operations in urban terrain. Scott R Gourley examines some of the active US programmes in this domain.

Awareness of the surrounding terrain is critical to combat operations in built-up areas.(Photo: USMC)

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November 2005, the system was deployed to Iraq on a fixed-wing aircraft to concentrate on the urban mapping mission, with a helicopter-mounted system deployed to Afghanistan in May 2006.

A LiDAR sensor was soon added to BuckEyes digital colour camera to collect high-resolution, high-accuracy elevation data with the combined capabilities fielded on a fixed-wing aircraft, based at Bagram Airfield, in November 2007. Additional platforms were deployed to Afghanistan in 2010 and 2011 to increase support throughout the country. Along with manned fixed-wing platforms, a UAS equipped with BuckEye including miniaturised LiDAR sensors has been operating in western Afghanistan.

One spin-off AGC technology development effort, dubbed Buckeye 3D Ground, is designed

to provide high-resolution 3D geospatial information from a ground-level perspective. Leveraging capabilities developed under the Urban Recon joint concept technology demonstration (JCTD), DARPAs UrbanScape project and the Geospatial Intelligence Video programme, the system will use ground-based terrestrial LiDAR technology to provide a unique ground-level geospatial perspective to current urban battlefield modelling techniques.

nn MOVING TARGETSHowever, LiDAR is far from the only technology being used to facilitate urban terrain awareness. Around the same time that AGC began fielding additional BuckEye aircraft to Afghanistan in late 2009, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) was supporting the deployment of the companys Lynx Block 30 synthetic aperture

radar/ground moving target indicator (SAR/GMTI) sensor on US Army Sky Warrior Block 1 UAS supporting combat operations in Iraq.

The Lynx radars were deployed on four Sky Warriors as part of the Armys Quick Reaction Capability-1 (QRC-1) deployment under its Extended Range/Multi-Purpose (ER/MP) UAS programme.

In announcing the 1,000-operational- hour milestone the following May, GA-ASI representatives identified the Lynx Block 30 radar as the only SAR/GMTI payload to have completed ER/MP integration testing and deployment.

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GMTI imagery has proven vital for recent operations in Afghanistan. (Image: US DoD)


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They added: The radar also features very fast coherent change detection algorithms and is continually being improved with enhanced performance and capabilities. Lynx Block 30 provides the all-weather detection capability of time-sensitive targets with precise geolocation and offers a long-range, wide-area surveillance capability that can provide high-resolution SAR imagery at slant ranges well beyond effective EO/IR range. Lynx also has a broad-area GMTI scanning mode for detecting moving vehicles in front and to either side of the aircraft platform.

Continuing technology developments were evident in GA-ASIs June 2013 announcement

highlighting the follow-on development to Lynx, the VideoSAR software system that is capable of providing continuous, real-time, all-weather, day/night SAR surveillance in full 1080p HD video format.

nn INFORMATION DISSEMINATIONWhile the underlying technologies create the foundation for enhanced urban terrain awareness, of equal importance is the ability to disseminate that critical information to the appropriate tactical level. The need to balance new technologies against enhanced end-user capabilities was recognised with the 2011

introduction of a new Army Technology Enabled Capability Demonstration (TECD) programme to replace the former Army Technology Objectives Demonstrations.

Key characteristics of the TECDs include senior leadership input at the outset for science and technology decisions, greater focus on providing capabilities rather than just introducing new technologies, and better planning on how a technology will transition to provide an operational capability.

Two current TECDs with great promise to increase urban terrain awareness capabilities for critical warfighting elements are the Mission Command (MC) TECD and Actionable Intelligence (AI) TECD. The former is led by the US Armys Communications-Electronics Research, Development and Engineering Centers (CERDECs) Command, Power and

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DoD facilities provide realistic environments to simulate operational conditions. (Photo: US Army)


COMMAND AND CONTROL

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Integration (CP&I) Directorate, while the latter is led by CERDECs Intelligence and Information Warfare Directorate (I2WD).

The two programmes are executed in close collaboration, with CP&I providing overall leadership. Along with high levels of cooperation between the two lead agencies, the TECDs reflect technology development efforts such as the representative geospatial activities noted at ERDC.

nn TACTICAL OVERMATCHIn outlining the combined MC/AI TECD activities, CERDEC representatives noted that lack of full battlefield situation awareness can lead to accidental contact with the enemy, adding that the goal for the TECD is to reduce tactical surprise for the small unit by developing an integrated suite of capabilities that creates tactical overmatch.

They described the TECD as a holistic solution of integrated capabilities to address this specific operational challenge by converging operational and intelligence information and by integrating warfighting functions such as fires. They added: In short, CERDEC CP&I seeks to enable getting the right information to the right soldier at the right time, so the small unit can engage the enemy on our terms.

CERDEC CP&I provides unique value added to this army science and technology initiative, as the organisation touches every army platform due to its C4ISR subject matter expertise. Moreover, its core competencies of power, mission command and integration provide the personnel and skill sets needed to attack problems where those capabilities merge.

CERDEC as a whole also boasts the requisite system-of-systems expertise to understand how best to integrate capabilities up front during development. That early integration can save programme managers extra work at a later date. Furthermore, the integrated capabilities will not only allow faster movement and sharing of information around the battlefield, but reduce costs for the army in the long run by eliminating the stovepiped functionalities that were once endemic to integrated systems.

The MC/AI TECDs feature a unique team construct that brings together diverse

organisations from across technology domains within US Army Research, Development and Engineering Command (RDECOM) and ERDC. For example, while CERDECs I2WD focuses on intelligence and CP&I handles mission command, RDECOMs Armament RD&E Center (ARDEC) also looks at enhancing the situation awareness of weapons emplacement and synchronisation, while all of these elements are leveraging the geospatial work done by ERDC to further enhance urban terrain awareness.

nn SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENTFor purposes of this TECD, the ERDC team has developed a number of geospatial terrain-related software products to include four focus areas: terrain foundation products creation (manoeuvre networks); terrain analysis related to mounted and dismounted routing; sensor placement; and the dissemination and synchronisation of geospatial terrain products, both intra- and cross-echelon.

Some of the specific products leveraged by the MC/AI TECD include: Rapid Open Geospatial User-Driven Enterprise (ROGUE); Geospatial Tracking, Recording and Analysis in COIN Environments (GeoTRACE) and Situation Awareness Geospatially Enabled (SAGE).

The TECD is organised into three phases of incremental and evolving capability. Phase 1, which took place during FY2013, focused on developing and demonstrating capabilities for an austere squad environment, with the squad having limited communications and network capabilities outside its formation.

Phase 2, which is taking place primarily during FY2014, is developing and demonstrating capabilities for a networked platoon, including demonstration of

collaboration and sharing of situation awareness and understanding with the platoon formation and some reachback to higher echelon intelligence systems.

Phase 3, which will take place primarily during FY2015, represents the capstone stage where networked company capabilities will be developed and demonstrated, showcasing full integration between the MC and AI components.

The TECD programme will use the C4ISR Network Modernization Events at Fort Dix, New Jersey, and other similar events to integrate, demonstrate and transition capabilities to army programmes of record. CERDEC representatives identify target transition customers as Program Manager (PM) Soldier Warrior, PM Joint Battle Command Platform, PM Distributed Common Ground System-Army and several others. US Army Training and Doctrine Command proponents include the Maneuver Center of Excellence (CoE), Mission Command CoE, Intelligence CoE, Fires CoE and Signal CoE.

Moreover, the TECD programme is not the only ongoing activity directed towards enhancing the warfighter network and mission command capabilities in both urban and non-urban tactical settings. Along with capstone events like the semi-annual Network Integration Evaluation (NIE) activities, other ongoing modernisation investigations are encompassed by the Army Expeditionary Warrior Experiments (AEWE), where the current Spiral I effort includes 16 new network architecture subsystems and 11 new mission command subsystems.

TECDs, NIEs, AEWEs and other experimental events may help identify some of the critical subsystems and new situation awareness tools that will help to enhance urban terrain awareness in future tactical environments. However, their greatest contribution is that they allow the examination of new technologies within the broader realm of enhancing warfighter capabilities. Just as multiple physical factors provide a framework for understanding complex terrain in urban areas, it is likely that multiple technologies will remain as the key to enhancing soldier awareness of that terrain. db

Sensing intelligence data will allow force elements to successfully occupy target buildings. (Photo: USSOCOM)


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Unusual channels

Communications are critical to any military operation, and with a wider range of CONOPS in play than ever before, the need for systems that can effectively and securely transmit voice and data in any operational scenario is driving tactical communications development in a number of divergent directions.

On 25 March, Selex ES announced that it had received new contracts to supply additional

equipment to the Italian Army for its Soldato Futuro programme. One of these contracts will see the company deliver 2,726 SWave software-defined radio (SDR) portable terminals, which will equip light infantry troops with a wideband communications system capable of meeting the requirements of future operating scenarios.

The SDR, developed by Selex, is a new concept platform able to hold various waveforms interoperable with systems already in use, as well as future ones. The Individual UHF and VHF multiband pocket radio has integrated GPS and full IP support to provide communications for infantry and commanders. It operates in the 30-512MHz range, in concert with wider Soldato Futuro system architecture alongside the C2 Wearable Portable Computers (WPC) also supplied by Selex ES allowing for independent voice and data transmission with a range of up to 2km (UHF) and 5km (VHF) at a data rate of up to 2Mbps.

The radio can be used for voice communications through a wired push-to-talk (PTT) unit or a wireless keyboard PTT integrated into the soldiers rifle. The radio is also responsible for transmitting positional data for the C2 WPC.

Selex ES leads the commercial consortium that works on the Soldato Futuro project. It was awarded the first contract for the programme in 2003, and is lead authority for the

Ensuring that the voice and data transmission capabilities of frontline troops can keep up with the operational demands placed on them is a key challenge for European militaries and their industry partners, finds Claire Apthorp.

Workable communications remain a critical go-no-go requirement for all military operations. (Photo: Crown Copyright)

COMMUNICATIONS

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COMMUNICATIONS


system architecture design, as well as heading up a number of development tasks in the area of C4ISTAR and situation awareness. The aim of the project is to enhance the soldiers ability to use information and communication services to improve perception of the surrounding environment, receive orders from the command level and provide commanders with information and reconnaissance data.

nn SOFTWARE DEFINEDGiven that the SDR characteristics used in the SWave radio family can be modified to allow them to operate with any legacy waveform, a single unit can accommodate multi-service and multinational capabilities.

This move towards a network-centric communications grid and SDRs is a primary objective for the Italian Army and other European countries that Selex ES counts among its customer base.

Armed forces are moving towards SDR because this architecture allows them to have the best cost-to-performance benefit, and they can achieve economies of scale by having the same hardware platform that can support different waveforms, company spokesman Maurizio Viberti told Digital Battlespace. This gives armies the possibility to develop further waveforms without having to change the hardware on the platform thats a revolutionary concept.

However, Selex ES still sees strong demand for its conventional radio systems, such as the Personal Role Radio (PRR) and the Vehicle

Integrated PRR (VIPRR), which use advanced 2.4GHz spread spectrum techniques for short-range communications.

Different operational requirements drive whether a customer wants a conventional or SDR-based system, Viberti explained. Our goal is to offer a range of solutions that meet different requirements and support the customer wherever they may be in the transition from the previous system to the network-centric system.

nn INTERNET PROTOCOLIn the increasingly complex and digitised battlefield, the need for tactical communications networks that can handle the sheer amount of data being transmitted and overcome the limitations of challenging environments is driving the growth of Internet protocol (IP)-based solutions.

Aselsan has been working to modernise the Turkish armed forces Tasmus tactical area communications system, which provides network-centric communications infrastructure. Tasmus, in service since 1999, generates a common picture of the battlefield in near-real time and shares data among battlefield systems. It facilitates fusion and display of intelligence information to commanders at all levels, and handles the exchange of targeting data from sensors to weapon systems.

Keeping a system like Tasmus up to date throughout its service life has required continuous work from the developer.

We started with ISPN technologies, but as the systems have become more digitised and all the services are becoming over-IP services, we needed to introduce a more high-speed backbone network and have gone from 1-2mb up to 34mb in todays systems, Esra Erkan of the Tasmus project group at Aselsan told DB. The ISPN-based user terminal has been changed to a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) system, SATCOM and NATO communications systems have been integrated into Tasmus, and encryption has been strengthened.

High-speed transmission and full IP solutions are not the only requirements driving forward development in Tasmus.

The Turkish armed forces also want more mobilised platforms and increased capability in their radio devices, Erkan said. Trying to achieve both of these requirements, while also trying to minimise the devices, presents an engineering challenge for us.

nn CUSTOMER DEMANDFinlands Elektrobit is also seeing demand from customers looking to introduce new IP-capable products into their tactical communications domain, and with data radios becoming more compact and delivering greater capability in smaller packages, the company is focusing on exploiting data radios using VoIP.

The companys Tough VoIP product family, originally developed for the Finnish Air Force (FIAF) for air base communication, provides broadband wireless and wired connectivity in demanding environments where limitations in communications can greatly affect operational capabilities, and is also fully interoperable with commercial equipment and infrastructure.

The main purpose of the system was to provide always available communication between the ground mechanics and the fighter jets on the ground for the FIAF, Mikko Viitaniemi, head of sales for EMEA at Elektrobit, told DB. The products developed for the FIAF were the EB Tough VoIP Terminal and the EB Tough VoIP Network Extender, with some customer-specific software features. After the adaptation of the system by the FIAF, the army got interested in the product family as well and decided to purchase the same system for artillery use.

The EB Tough VoIP family supports a self-discovery mode which allows phones to find each other dynamically on a network with no pre-planning. This is distributed and avoids the single point of failure inherent in a server-based architecture, which is often unsuited to the tactical environment. While adapted to the tactical space, these products retain full compatibility with VoIP standards that may be used in strategic systems.

On the networks, side the company is seeing the most interest in its EB Tactical Wireless IP

The MIDS terminal element of the Link 16 system, as utilised by the UK MoD. (Photo: Data Link Solutions)


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Network (TAC WIN), which is a MIL-STD-compliant self-forming, self-healing broadband wireless wide-area IP network.

With the EB Tough VoIP phones, customers are generally looking for robust, easily integrated products. With the EB TAC WIN, customers are generally looking for a network with requirements like a high data rate, mobility and flexibility to utilise different network topologies like point-to-point, point-to-multipoint and mobile ad-hoc (MANET), Viitaniemi said. Our observation is that nations in Europe are in different stages in migrating to IP technology some countries are pioneers and some are very conservative. The existence of a strong industry in many nations affects the dynamics of the markets.

According to Viitaniemi, the biggest challenges in adding Tough VoIP products is interoperability, integration with existing systems, cost and how to upgrade legacy equipment in a controlled manner.

Many times, customers think that they need to upgrade the whole legacy system all at once, when in fact Elektrobits products based on IP technology can be introduced

while still using the old technology, he said. The adaptation of IP technology is quite slow on the European markets, because of the legacy systems in use and because of defence budget pressures. The budget pressures are seen to be affecting procurements, one result being that these processes get delayed and postponed more easily.

nn DATA LINKSData link communications remain the fundamental tactical situation awareness waveform across aircraft, ships and ground forces, with Link 16 still being a basic requirement for communicating between NATO partners.

Link 16 is a situation awareness waveform that provides blue force tracking so that all pilots, ground- or ship-based personnel involved in an operation can know where friendly and enemy forces are located within the battlespace. Link 16 provides the information in the secure, jam-resistant, near-real time exchange of tactical messages, along with limited voice communications on a low-data-rate waveform.

The UK has overhauled the way it supports its Link 16 capability in recent years. In 2012 it awarded Data Link Solutions (DLS) a joint BAE Systems and Rockwell Collins venture a five-year asset availability and post-design services contract for the sustainment and engineering service provision of Link 16. This included the opening of the DLS Waddington Support Facility, which has come to serve as a model for in-country support for customers using DLS Link 16 terminals and systems worldwide.

Prior to this arrangement, the UKs capability was sustained through the MoD. Military officers would do intermediate-level maintenance, where faulty terminals would be examined, replaced or have new subsystems installed, or be returned to the US, John Byrnes, business development director at BAE Systems, told DB.

That turned out to be very costly for the UK government to maintain, so we were approached by the MoD to find an alternative that would reduce costs and improve turnaround time and that is what the Waddington programme is about, an asset availability service.

nn INTEROPERABLE AWARENESSThe MoD agreement includes DLS support for the application and integration of Link 16 Joint Tactical Information Distribution System (JTIDS) terminals, Multifunctional Information Distribution System (MIDS) terminals and the AN/URC-138(V)1(C) Information Distribution System.

The MIDS Low Volume Terminal (LTV) now in service will be operational until 2035 under current plans. MIDS LVT is a fighter terminal with flexible, open architecture, which provides a critical airborne, ground and maritime link that allows for simultaneous coordination of forces and situation awareness in battlefield operations. In order to ensure the system reaches its end of service life still providing the capabilities its users require, Link 16 is being refreshed under a major programme called Block Upgrade 2.

Every time we find different obsolescence issues, problem reports, or changes in technology requirements, we do block cycle The SWave SDR has been supplied for the Italian Soldato Futuro programme. (Photo: Selex ES)



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COMMUNICATIONS

upgrades that will patch things up and keep the terminal wholly interoperable and up to date, but there comes a point when we have to take all the issues and perform a block upgrade, where we physically open up that terminal, remove and replace components and change software, Byrnes said.

DLS was awarded a contract by the US Navy to update the cryptographic subsystems to handle frequency re-mapping and increase throughput, and that will be going into service in every terminal that is in operation and installed today.

Thats close to 6,000 terminals to upgrade, and for countries other than the UK that means they have to physically remove them from the aircraft, package them and return them to the US to have that upgrade performed, but in the UK we are facilitated to do it there.

The UK has also been instrumental in the use of Link 16 in its tanker aircraft, something that is driving other nations to consider taking the technology into their own aerial refuelling domains.

The UK has found such an improvement in operations using Link 16, and this has been an example of how the waveform can help its users maximise efficiency, Byrnes said. A lot of users dont fully understand just what Link 16 can do this is helping them see that it improves efficiency and saves money as well as protecting lives.

nn FLEXIBLE SOLUTIONSWith the CONOPS of modern forces increasingly requiring flexible and fast-deploying tactical communication solutions, interest in SATCOM is also growing, particularly for special forces operations outside the wire. General Dynamics SATCOM Technologies developed its Warrior

terminal products as a family of tactical earth stations capable of operating on satellite bands from X- to Ka-Band with apertures as small

as 50cm for SATCOM-on-the-move terminals and as large as 2.4m for

satellite terminal trailers. The systems are in use with various unnamed armed forces in Europe.

The tremendous flexibility of the Warrior terminals allows them to be used in any region of the world without additional customisation or modification, Timothy Shroyer, chief technology officer at General Dynamics SATCOM Technologies,

told DB. New capabilities of the Warrior terminal family include proven

RF performance on all satellite operating bands and streamlined operation, reducing training requirements.

The Warrior terminals are fully compliant with requirements imposed by satellite operators and communications regulators, including in Europe, which has some of the strictest RF requirements.

The terminals consist of an RF front end including an antenna, antenna control unit, uplink solid-state power block and downlink low-noise block optimised for each of the different satellite operating bands. All the terminals in the product family utilise a common L-Band interface that works with any of the various types of SATCOM modems. Using the modem and baseband subsystem appropriate for the overarching network they are connected to, Warrior terminals connect deployed users to the internet, public switched telephone network, or other private networks with satellite links to government teleports, commercial teleports or government-operated hub terminals.

Keeping soldiers connected to each other and their commanders in the battlefield is a primary requirement for successful military operations. Despite budgetary pressure among European governments, the demand for effective and secure communications systems remains, and continues to drive development into new and innovative directions. db

The Tough VoIP handset is described as robust and easily integrated by manufacturer Elektrobit. (Photo: Elektrobit)

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COMPUTERS

24

Waiting for a connection

Multiple interoperable open architecture initiatives

are running concurrently across the defence sector. Angus Batey explores UK

efforts to bring plug and play vehicle systems to

its land forces.

A stuttering global economy may be the most obvious challenge facing the worlds militaries as they look to increase capabilities and give their fighting forces the best equipment available, but a set of new problems has been opened up by the significant gains achieved in the commercial IT sector.

Traditionally, military procurement has driven technological development, as expensive leading-edge designs eventually find their way

into the consumer world. The rapid pace of development, and the low unit costs achieved by mass production and a huge global consumer market, mean that IT has upended this convention.

One way militaries can start to redress the balance is by making their platforms as adaptable as a desktop computer. When a home or office user needs a new printer, or when a different webcam becomes available

The commanders console of a Foxhound vehicle the British Armys first GVA-compliant platform. (Photos: Crown Copyright)

DB_MayJun14_p24-29_GVA.indd 24 28/04/2014 16:51:02


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COMPUTERS

that offers higher resolution, the user does not have to buy an entirely new system they just unplug the obsolete device and replace it with the new one.

nn STANDARD FUNCTIONSStandardised interfaces, such as the Universal Serial Bus (USB), mean that a vast array of peripherals supplied by a large number of independent manufacturers can be attached to the machines, while a mixture of onboard software and sometimes an additional piece of code supplied with the device will enable the user to effect a seamless change from one piece of hardware to another.

What if such plug-and-play interoperability was available not just to users of computers or home electronics, but the teams that procure and operate military platforms? Instead of a fleet-wide sensor replacement, requiring vehicles to be returned to the depot for a lengthy refit, the new equipment could be attached by frontline maintenance crews in minutes. If the user interface did not change and any new software was essentially invisible to the soldier in the back of the vehicle, extensive

retraining could be avoided. And when a major subsystem becomes obsolete, only that system would need to be replaced, not the entire vehicle or its supporting infrastructure.

As military platforms become more sophisticated and sprout ever greater arrays of electronic subsystems from C3 gear and EO sensors to sniper detection systems, IED countermeasures and remote weapons stations the demand to be able to quickly field the latest piece of life-saving, battle-winning technology intensifies.

The need to have the vehicles carrying the most up-to-date kit, and for them to be available quickly and in significant numbers to the front lines, also increases. As budgets continue to fall, the pressure is on both the military customer and industrial supplier to find a way to square these circles.

nn OPEN APPROACHThe quest to develop interoperable open architectures (IOAs) for military vehicles has become a key pr

digital battlespace magazine: sensing change - situation awareness in urban operations, volume 6...

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