Tactical Radios Compendium 2015

2015/16

armada international: The trusted source for defence analysis since 1976

NEW TOOLS FOR NEW RULES

Tadiran MCTR-7200 Handheld & Vehicular Software-Defined Radio

HF 8000 Multi-adaptive HF radio systems for continuous long-rang communications

BattleComm Dominance

GRX-8000 High capacity radio relay

Elbit Systems’ battle-proven SDR communications and integrated networking expertise ensure BattleComm Dominance by supporting secure video, high data rate, and extended range voice communications.

From the individual soldier and platoon commander up to the division and corps levels, our powerful radios and systems allow armed forces in over 50 countries around the world to share mission critical information swiftly and securely.

World-leading radio and communication solutions for your entire military network

TM

ELSAT-2100 SATCOM on-the-move antennas

02

armada

2015/16 Tactical Radios Compendium

N

E

X

T

I

S

N

O

W™

The French Army is contemplating the replacement of its existing PR4G FastNet VHF tactical radios pictured here. Thales has been contracted to produce the new transceivers as part of the Contact programme © Thomas Withington

New Waves The last year has seen significant activity in the tactical radio domain. New products have been unveiled, existing transceivers have been enhanced, and new waveforms are becoming available, while programmes such as the US Joint Tactical Radio System (JTRS) continue to advance.

Thomas Withington

E

urope is thinking hard about the First World War following the commemorations which were held around the continent to mark the centenary of its outbreak on 28 July 1914. Alongside the epic loss of life suffered during the war’s four long years,

the conflict witnessed much new military technology; the advent of airpower and mechanised warfare being two examples.

It was also the conflict in which electronic communications would be used for the first time on a large scale.

For the British Army, and the Empire

and Commonwealth forces which would be deployed to fight Germany, radios mounted on trucks such as Marconi’s 1.5 kilowatt system were supplied to the Signals Branch of the British Army’s Royal Engineers. According to an article written

by Captain AP Corcoran of the British armada

2015/16 Tactical Radios Compendium

03

Bittium’s TAC WIN product is taking an important stride forward in helping to connect tactical radios with other forms of communication, notably cellular telephones, using VOIP waveforms © Thomas Withington

Army was published in Popular Sciences Monthly in May 1917, this radio did sterling service until the British withdrawal from Mons in August/September 1914. Known as the ‘Great Retreat’, this saw the British Army, together the French Fifth Army being forced south from the city of Mons in Belgium, close to the French border, by a German advance south from Belgium to the banks of the River Marne, just north of Paris. The Great Retreat commenced on 24 August 1914 before the First Battle of the Marne, fought between 5 and 12 September 1914, ended the German advance.

One consequence of the Allied victory during this latter battle was that much of the momentum of the initial fighting came to a halt and the First World War began to assume its more familiar attritional face on the Western Front. As a consequence of operational change, Capt. Corcoran’s article continues that; “the end of the moving fighting and the beginning of trench

04

armada

2015/16 Tactical Radios Compendium

In the mud, blood and horror of trench warfare the tactical radio was born monotony, (caused) the (Marconi radio set to lose) its value. Soon it was entirely supplanted by the systematic working of trench telephones, and for a while the wireless went almost completely out of use.”

Yet the lack of reliability of the trench telephone system, depending as it did on wires, caused a rethink regarding radio communications, and within a matter of months after the Great Retreat, the British Army were issuing radios to each battalion, equipping them with two trench radios apiece, with a radio furnishing the brigade headquarters, a 0.5 kilowatt system equipping the divisional headquarters and a still-larger 1.5KW set furnishing

the Army Headquarters. Thus, in the mud, blood and horror of trench warfare the tactical radio was born. Today, the tactical radio is as important to land forces as it was 100 years ago, and this article will discuss some of the recent events regarding tactical radio hardware and software plus ongoing, and anticipated, tactical radio programmes around the world.

Given that Europe was the birthplace of military tactical radio, it makes sense that Armada’s tactical radio compendium should start its examination of developments in military communications by discussing recent pertinent events on this continent. Important initiatives are ongoing courtesy of European tactical radio suppliers and programmes. New waveforms for existing transceivers are entering the market and, as the discussion below illustrates, important tactical radio procurement programmes in France, Germany and the United Kingdom are at various stages of fruition.

I Bittium

The need for military communications to connect with civilian networks is increasingly important, as shown by the existence of the US APCO-25 waveform discussed below which connects military tactical radio users to radio networks used by emergency services first responders.

In 2014 at the Eurosatory defence exhibition in Paris, Elektrobit (now Bittium) showcased its new Tactical LTE (Long-Term Evolution) fourth-generation wireless communications protocol gateway.

This allows military communications to connect with smartphones and vice versa using the firm’s EB Tactical Wireless Internet Protocol. Known as ‘TAC WIN’, this protocol is housed in a base station to which the Tactical LTE is connected. This ensemble allows high data rate battlefield IP (Internet Protocol) communications from brigade and platoon levels, allowing military users to connect with civilian smartphones using Bittium’s H3 handset.

Portuguese communications specialists EID provide a number of tactical radio products, which includes personal role radios such as the TWH-101 shown here. This product is reinforced with the TWH-104 PRR capable of handling data communications at a rate of 100kbps © Thomas Withington

The H3 handset connects to the soldier’s radio, enabling their communications to travel as VOIP (Voice Over IP) traffic to the TAC WIN base station. From there it travels into the Tactical LTE and onwards to the smartphone of the intended recipient.

Those with smartphones can equip their device with a specific SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) card and type a Personal Identification Number into their phone to enable communications with a military radio across the Tactical LTE and TACWIN base station.

The Maavoimat (Finnish Army) is receiving similar technology in the form of the TAC WIN router, plus four radio heads, to allow the system to connect externally with tactical radio networks, and the TAC WIN waveform which allow communications over the TAC WIN IPenabled wireless network. Deliveries of the TAC WIN, and its accompanying equipment, commenced in 2021, Bittium told Armada, and are expected to conclude in 2020, the company added.

DICOM unveiled their new RF40 Thoroughbred handheld V/UHF radio at this years’ IDEX exhibition in Abu Dhabi. The radio employs the firms’ WF40 waveform and performs data throughput at a speed of 270kbps. A ‘Mission Module’ which can be attached to the radio to extend its frequencies © Thomas Withington

I DICOM

Just as Bittium is improving the ability of the military to network with cellular communications, other European tactical radio suppliers are enhancing the capabilities of their wares. During the 2015 International Defence Exhibition (IDEX)

held in Abu Dhabi, the Czech Republic’s DICOM launched its new RF40 Thoroughbred V/UHF (VHF/30-300 megahertz/ MHz, UHF/300MHz to three gigahertz/ GHz) handheld radio.

Using the company’s WF40 waveform, this radio has a data throughput of 270 kilobits-per-second (kbps). RF40 users can also add a ‘Mission Module’ to the back of the transceiver which allows L- and S-band (one to two gigahertz, two to four gigahertz) communications. The addition of the Mission Module extends the radio’s data rates to 40 megabits-per-second (mbps). A geolocation function is built into the radio which allows it to communicate with the Russian GLONAS and European Galileo global navigation satellite system. When teamed with DICOM’s VA40 compact amplifier dock, the output of the RF40 can be increased to 50 Watts, allowing this handheld transceiver to be used as a vehicular radio.

DICOM told Armada that it expects the RF40 to be available for purchase as of mid-2016, but has not provided any details as to whether it has yet secured any customers for this radio. The production of the RF40 is in addition to the company’s V/UHF RF20/RF23GPS (Global Positioning System) handheld and RF2050/2350GPS vehicular/fixed radios which DICOM continue to produce and export around the world for undisclosed customers. The RF20 and RF2050 radios have been in production since 2003, with the GPS-enabled RF23/RF250GPS entering production in 2013.

I EID

DICOM is not the only European supplier showcasing new tactical radios. Portuguese tactical communications specialists EID has been promoting its TWH-104 PRR (Personal Role Radio) at several defence exhibitions around the world over the past year. The TWH-104 forms part of the company’s TWH-100 product family, although the new radio has a geolocation capability using GPS. Like other members of the TWH-100 family, the TWH-104 operates on the 2.4GHz ISM (Industrial, Scientific and Medical) radio band. It can handle data communications at rates of up to 100kbps. The firm told the author that legacy TWH-100 PRRs can be upgraded to TWH-104 status via the integration of a new RF (Radio Frequency) board. Armada sources have stated that the TWH-104 may already be in service with the Exército Português (Portuguese Army). armada

2015/16 Tactical Radios Compendium

05

Kongsberg’s WM600 UHF radio is designed for vehicular applications. It can provide communications between vehicles, and between vehicles and dismounted troops. The WM600 offers data rates of up to 2.5mbps © Kongsberg

I Kongsberg

Much as EID is believed to have commenced delivery of the TWH-104 PRR to the Portuguese Army, Kongsberg is furnishing the militaries of Hungary and Norway with new transceivers.

According to Eivind Lyngar, director of marketing and sales for defence communications within Kongsberg’s defence and aerospace division, the firm is currently involved in the delivery of its MV600 and MH600 VHF radios to Hungary and Norway. With quantities of delivery “in their thousands,” states Mr. Lyngar, the firm expects to supply both countries with these radios until orders are completed in 2018.

The MV600 and MH600 are both members of the firm’s Multi-Role Radio (MRR) family; with the MH600 designed as a VHF handheld transceiver and the MV600 VHF as a vehicular radio. These radios which also include AES-256 (Advanced Encryption Standard-256); a standard of encryption overseen by the US National Institute of Standards and Technology.

Mr. Lyngar detailed other programmes involving the company such as the supply of TacLAN VHF radios to Switzerland,

06

armada

2015/16 Tactical Radios Compendium

the United Kingdom (see below) and Finland (see above). The TacLAN family also possess AES-256 encryption and contain three radios; namely the WM600 UHF vehicular radio, the SR600 handheld and the UM600 which can use the same mounting bracket as that employed by the MRR (see above). The deliveries of TacLAN radios to these three countries are expected to continue until 2020, Mr. Lyngar adds.

Beyond the programmes involving the firm mentioned above, Kongsberg introduced a new product towards the end of 2014 in the form of its RL-542A Tactical Radio Link. Providing data rates of up to 100mbps the RL542A has completed “successful field trials in Norway, the Middle East and the Asia-Pacific,” Mr. Lyngar told Armada. He added that the first contracts for its procurement are expected by the end of 2015, although the

TrellisWare’s TW-130 WildCat-II radio offers V/UHF communications and can be used in vehicular or manpack applications with up to eight watts of transmit power, and the ability to support up to twelve voice channels © TrellisWare

AN/PRC-155 IS MUOS READY

MUOS offers enhanced voice and data BLOS alternative to legacy SATCOM —

Cell-like voice clarity

—

10x more capacity than legacy SATCOM

—

No longer limited to select, specialized users

GDMISSIONSYSTEMS.COM

©2015 General Dynamics. All rights reserved.

A S U E S BO A E U O NA S A TH TI T #8 ON 25 AL

More than 5000 MUOS capable AN/PRC-155 Manpack Radios delivered to date

We always like our toys but sometimes less is more

Rockwell Collins’ TruNet claims to be the first software defined network which includes ground and airborne radios, and accompanying waveforms, offering secure interoperability between ground and airborne users © Rockwell Collins

company has not revealed the possible customers for this new product.

I Radmor

Rohde and Schwarz’s MR3000P is a VHF handheld radio which offers embedded electronic counter measure protection.

Other communications security features include digital encryption and frequency hopping © Rohde and Schwarz

08

armada

2015/16 Tactical Radios Compendium

European tactical radio specialists are not only offering new transceivers to customers. New waveforms are entering the marketplace notably from Polish communications specialists Radmor.

Expected to be available by the end of this year, the waveform will equip the company’s new R3509 handheld V/ UHF transceiver, and its legacy RF3507 handheld transceiver; although the latter radio will require the addition of a new circuit board to this end.

Radmor produce the RF3509 in two versions; notably the RF3501 Standard and the RF3501 Advanced. The former is supplied sans GPS receiver, unlike the latter. Moreover, the RF3501 Advanced is able to perform the retransmission of voice and data traffic, while the RF3501 Standard can only perform the retransmission of voice traffic.

Meanwhile, ASELSAN of Turkey has introduced a new Wideband Networking Waveform (WNW) to equip its PRC/ VRC9661 V/UHF manpack, vehicular and base station radios which, like Radmor’s new waveform discussed above, will be available by the end of 2015. The firm disclosed to the author at this years’ IDEX that the WNW will carry “several megabits-per-second’ of data. According to ASELSAN’s existing

literature, these radios presently carry circa 100kbps of data.

I Rohde and Schwarz

Alongside ASELSAN and Radnor’s new waveforms discussed above, in 2014, Germany’s Rohde and Schwarz introduced its new High Data Rate Wideband (HDR-WB) and HDR-AJ-WB (Anti-Jam-Wideband) waveforms which equip its Software Defined Tactical Radio (SDTR) family. The HDR-WB carries up to 2.1mbps of data, with the HDR-AJ-WB offering 626kbps data rates. Both the HDRWB and HDR-AJ-WB join the firm’s HDRAJ-NB (Narrowband) waveform offering data rates of 110kbps. In terms of the SDTR family, the company has to date unveiled the VR5000 VHF/UHF vehicular radio.

The firm is involved in Germany’s SVFuA (Sreitkräftegemeinsame Verbundfähige Funkgeräteausstattung/Joint Armed Forces Interoperable Radio Equipment) programme programme which is developing the future Software Defined Radio (SDR) architecture to be used by the German Armed Forces. One of the key foundations of this initiative is the SCA-2.2.2 (see below) SDR standards to which elements of the US Joint Tactical Radio System (JTRS) adhere. In addition, although Germany is not a participant in the panEuropean ESSOR waveform initiative discussed below, it is involved in the COALWNW (Coalition Networking Waveform) programme.

Rohde and Schwarz’s SDTR family has recently benefited from new waveforms which offer data rates between 626kbps and 2.1mbps. They join the firms’ HDR-AJ-NB waveform already used by the SDTR transceivers © Rohde and Schwarz

COALWNW will form the cornerstone of the waveforms which Germany uses in its future generation of SDRs, and is particularly prescient as Germany currently lacks any national high data rate waveforms. The COALWNW initiative includes Australia, Finland, France, Italy, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States. These nations agreed in 2009 to jointly develop a wideband networking waveform to enable tactical communications across the armed forces of several different nations during coalition operations. Two years later, in 2011, the then JTRS Joint Programme Executive Office (now the Joint Tactical Networking Centre/JTNC) which is based in San Diego, California, announced its approval of the operational requirements for COALWNW on behalf of the member nations. The waveforms developed as a result of the initiative will potentially be ready for introduction during a similar timeframe to ESSOR (see above).

Dirk Lageveen, director of army communications systems for Rohde and Schwarz, says that the replacement of the existing tactical radios used by the German armed forces via the SVFuA effort represents “the most important programme” for the company. This is in addition to the firm offering a tender for the Swedish Tactical Ground Radio System programme which will bring “the next generation of tactical radios into the Swedish armed forces,” over the next five to ten years. Mr. Lageveen adds that the Swedish initiative “is one of the first European procurement programmes which is asking for the next generation of tactical radios and waveforms.”

The RIF-NG is an upgrade of the legacy RIF system currently equipping the French Army At the core of the company’s offerings to satisfy the Swedish and German requirements is its SDTR solution. That said the company cannot discuss possible dates for deliveries of new radios, or potential numbers to be acquired, citing confidentiality. Customers can port both Rohde and Schwarz’s proprietary waveforms and their own indigenous waveforms into this family of radios.

Regarding waveforms, Mr. Lageveen continues that the company’s High Data Rate (HDR) family discussed in detail above now have; “all the capabilities we promised to add at the market introduction of the SDTR in December 2012. This includes a full MANET (Mobile Ad Hoc Networking) capability with multiple hops, an ECCM (Electronic Counter-Counter Measure) broadband waveform and several other improvements. Many customers gave us a very positive feedback about the waveforms in live trials … especially our anti-jam narrowband waveform which is outperforming customer’s expectations in range and performance and seems to be very unique in the market.”

I Sagem

Much as Rohde and Schwarz is involved in modernising the tactical radios of the German armed forces, Sagem of France is delivering new UHF RIF-NG

Although Thales and General Dynamics have provided the AN/PRC-154 radio to the US Army as part of the JTRS programme, the force is now contemplating the Full Rate Production phase of the HMS initiative, with Thales offering a new Rifleman Radio design © Thales

(Réseau d’Information du Fantassin de Nouvelle Génération/New Generation Infantry Information Network) Personal Role Radios to the Armée de Terre (French Army): The RIF-NG is an upgrade of the legacy RIF system currently equipping the force. Sagem’s enhancement sees the radio’s range being increased to circa 1.4 kilometres (0.8 miles), as opposed to the 800 metres (0.5 miles) range of the previous RIF system. Furthermore, it will be configured to act as a relay to extend an infantry’s squad’s communications coverage. armada

2015/16 Tactical Radios Compendium

09

Thales’ Star Mille radio family provides a number of products operating in the UHF range.

These include handheld and high power radios, plus vehicular transceivers of the type pictured here © Thales

Beyond this initiative, Sagem is installing RIF-NG sets into French Army Nexter VBCI (Véhicule Blindé de Combat d’Infanterie/Armoured Infantry Fighting Vehicles) and VAB (Véhicule de l’Avant Blindé/Armoured Vanguard Vehicle) platforms, to allow squad-vehicle communications. Communications with higher echelons are performed by the squad commander using their Thales PR4G FastNet handheld and vehicular Very High Frequency radios (see below).

I Thales

The modifications to the RIF radios, via the RIF-NG initiative discussed above are not the only improvements being rolled out across the radios in use by the French Army.

Sapura-Thales Electronics is a joint FrancoMalaysian venture which, among other items, produces tactical radios. These products include the firm’s TRC-5100 series handheld transceivers © Thomas Withington

10

armada

2015/16 Tactical Radios Compendium

Thales is moving forward with the Contact programme for the French armed forces.

Contact is intended to replace the PR4G FastNet VHF tactical radio family which is used across the French armed forces with several new radios expected to enter service in the 2018 to 2020 timeframe.

Thales was originally awarded a contract worth $937 million in October 2013 to cover the development of the hardware and software elements of the programme, and to provide sufficient software-defined radios and accompanying hardware to equip two French Army brigades. However, the eventual value of the programme could increase to over $5.4 billion once the Contact software and hardware is rolled out across the rest of the French armed forces from circa 2018.

The radios procured as part of the Contact programme will replace the existing TRC-9105 and TRC-9110 VHF handheld radios, the TRC-9210 VHF manpack radio; all of which form part of the PR4G FastNet family. The product line also includes the TRC-9310A/AP and TRC-9310B/C singleand dual-fit vehicular radios; the TRA6030-N V/UHF airborne radios used by AdT and Armée de l’Air (French Air Force) aircraft and the TRC-5100 VHF handheld radio and VHF repeater.

At the cornerstone of the Contact effort is Thales’ involvement in the ESSOR (European Secure Software Defined Radio) initiative. This pan-European programme is developing a suite of new HF (three to 30MHz) and V/UHF waveforms for data-heavy communications. Along with Thales; companies in Finland (Bittium), Italy (Selex), Poland (Radmor), Spain (Indra) and Sweden (Saab) are helping to develop the ESSOR waveforms, and are

organised into an industrial consortium known as A4ESSOR. ESSOR originally fell under the auspices of the European Defence Agency; the division of the European Union which manages multinational European defence procurements, before being transferred to OCCAR (Organisation Conjointe de Coopération en matière d’ArmementExecutive Administration/Joint Organisation for Armament Cooperation-Executive Administration) which manages collaborative defence programmes involving Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom.

Presently, the research and development efforts for these waveforms are approaching completion. The next stage will be to perform the overall certification to ensure that they can be used with the current and forthcoming tactical radios used by the ESSOR member countries.

TrellisWare’s CheetahNet Mini is a UHF handheld radio which is designed to carry voice and data traffic. The radio is particularly well-suited to equip troops performing shipboard operations © TrellisWare

Accompanying Barrett’s handheld PRC-2080 radio, is the company’s PRC-2081 25W manpack. The radio has been engineered with demanding missions in mind with regards to its resistance to immersion and vibration © Barrett

This certification process is expected to take around five years, allowing the waveforms to be readied for use in the 2020 timeframe. Despite the advent of the ESSOR waveform, Thales will ensure that the new radios being procured as part of the Contact initiative (see above) will be able to handle the PR4G waveforms to ensure compatibility between the legacy and new radios.

Part of the ESSOR waveform development initiative is using the JTNC (see above) Software Communications Architecture (SCA) 2.2.2 standard. The JTNC is part of the United States Department of Defence (DoD) and is tasked with publishing the software standards to which the radios being procured as a result of the JTRS programme must adhere. The development of the ESSOR waveforms to the SCA 2.2.2 standard should further help to assist interoperability between European ESSOR users and the radios and waveforms being procured as part of the JTRS programme in the US in the future (see below). These ESSOR waveforms are expected to become available in circa 2020; in time for entry into service on the new Contact radios.

The logic of ESSOR is to provide several waveforms which can be used by France and other European nations to improve connectivity during multinational operations.

Despite the PR4G family of radios eventually being replaced by the new radios procured by France as a result of the Contact programme, Thales is continuing

its support of the PR4G family until it leaves service. For example, in March 2014, the company unveiled a new ad hoc networking waveform to equip these radios. Operating in the UHF range, this waveform will be able to carry voice and data traffic at rates of between 2.3 to six megabits per second. Via a written statement, Thales told the author that this waveform is now in service with undisclosed customers in Europe and the Asia-Pacific regions.

the eventual full retirement of Clansman.

The Bowman family includes the UK/PRC-354 VHF transceiver used for platoon level communications. A range of manpacks are also included based on Exelis’ (now Harris) manpack radios carrying the SINCGARS (Single Channel Ground and Airborne Radio System) waveform for use at the squad/platoon level. The designation for these manpacks differs according to their power output and role.

I Project Morpheus

The French Army’s British counterparts may also begin to receive new tactical radios in the coming decade. This June it was reported that the United Kingdom Ministry of Defence (MoD) is to commence consultations regarding the replacement of the Bowman communications system used across the British armed forces.

Bowman can trace its lineage back to a 1989 UK MoD requirement to replace the Clansman radio. Clansman was in use between 1976 and 2010 and was constructed by Racal, Mullard Equipment and Plessey. Three classes of radios comprised the Clansman architecture allowing HF, VHF and UHF communications. Following a tortuous bidding process, General Dynamics won the contract to replace Clansman with Bowman. The latter gained its initial operating capability in 2004, before completing its roll-out in 2008, allowing

Barrett’s PRC2080 is a five watt handheld radio which can be employed at the squad level. This VHF radio has a range of up to eight kilometres (4.9 miles) and can be used either with the supplied headset or an optional tactical headset © Barrett

armada

2015/16 Tactical Radios Compendium

11

In terms of HF radios, Barrett offers the PRC-2090 rugged tactical HF transceiver.

Immersible to a depth of up to one metre (three feet), the radio can be operated in extremes of temperature from -40 to +70 degrees Celsius © Barrett

For example, the UK/PRC-355 is a fivewatt manpack, the UK/PRC-356 is a 16W manpack, while the UK/VRC-357 is a vehicular clip-in radio, the UK/VRC-358 a 16W low-power vehicular radio and the UK/VRC-359 being a 50W high-power vehicular radio. Bowman also includes an HF component comprising the UK/PRC325 20W manpack and the UK/VRC-328/9 100W vehicular and fixed-site transceiver.

The UK/PRC-325 is in fact an ‘UK-ised’ version of Harris’ AN/PRC-150(C) FalconII multiband radio, although lacking the proprietary Harris Citadel encryption which is instead replaced by the UK Type-1 Pritchel encryption. At the top of the Bowman family is the UK/VRC340 High Capacity Data Radio which can form a self-managing mobile IP communications backbone.

It may seem early to start considering Bowman’s replacement, given that it only commenced full-scale deployment with the British armed forces in 2010, yet tactical radio programmes, like many military procurements can have long gestations: The US JTRS initiative discussed above was first mooted in 1997 as a result of a US DoD Mission Needs Statement which articulated the requirements for the Software Defined Radios, software, waveforms, encryption and overall communications architecture

12

armada

2015/16 Tactical Radios Compendium

which would eventually assume the various components of the JTRS undertaking.

Given that elements of JTRS, such as the Handheld and MNVR (Mid-tier Networking Vehicular Radio) components of the programme discussed below are only now inching towards Full Rate Production (FRP); almost 20 years after the publication of the Mission Needs Statement, the UK MoD is probably prudent in contemplating Bowman’s replacement sooner rather than later. Like JTRS, Bowman took around 20 years to fully realise. Based on a projected life span of around 30 years for a tactical radio ensemble, Bowman will need to be replaced from 2040. With the expectation that the procurement cycle for its replacement could take up to two decades, this will mean that the UK MoD will need to have Bowman’s successor very much under development from 2020; a mere five years from now.

With such timelines in mind, it was reported by the media in June that the UK MoD had launched ‘Project Morpheus’; with an ambitious plan to replace Bowman from 2026. At present, Project Morpheus is a consultation with the UK MoD reaching out to individuals and organisations with expertise in telecommunications, wireless technology and communications security, to name just three disciplines, to provide advice regarding the direction in which the UK MoD should go to replace Bowman.

To examine the technologies proposed to the Project Morpheus initiative, the UK MoD has composed a consortium which includes PA Consulting, Roke Manor Research and QinetiQ to evaluate

the proposals therein. The UK MoD has followed an innovative approach in developing its replacement for Bowman, particularly in an era where advanced technology is often developed by small civilian ‘start ups.’

The MoD consultation intends to hear the offerings from small- and medium-sized enterprises involved in telecommunications to obtain as wide a selection of ideas and technologies as possible relevant to Bowman’s successor.

This could help to reduce the burden of having to develop new technology from scratch for Bowman’s replacement, helping to reduce costs. Should this approach prove to be successful, it could be followed by other countries in the future when replacing their tactical radios to acquire the best technology at a price that the armed forces can afford.

I Outside Europe

While Europe is witnessing energetic activity vis-à-vis the procurement of new waveforms and radios, similar initiatives are

ASELSAN of Turkey took advantage of the IDEX exhibition to launch new waveforms, such as the Wideband Networking Waveform which will equip its tactical radios by the end of 2015. The company’s PRC-9651 handheld radios are seen in this picture © Thomas Withington

Another of Elbit Systems’ offerings in the handheld radio domain is the SDR-7200HH V/UHF transceiver which includes built-in GPS and is capable of sustaining data rates of up to one megabit-per-second (four megabits-per-second optional) across wideband waveforms © Elbit Systems

completion. They are in our main markets of Africa, the Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, South America and Central Asia.” He continued that, alongside their use by the armed forces, the firms communications products are employed by paramilitary border security and government forces.

Regarding order size, Mr. O’Neil states that purchases can range from “small quantities up to substantial recurring annual orders,” adding that the firm “supplies many thousands of radios per year.”

I Per Vices Corporation

While companies such as Barrett are long-established players in the tactical radio domain, it is rare that Armada has

Alongside the PNR-1000 handheld radio, Elbit Systems also offers the V/UHF PRC710MB. With data rates of up to 4.8kbps, the radio has ten preset channels © Elbit

occurring beyond the c ontinent. To this end, important tactical radio procurements are expected in Africa, with South Africa looking to overhaul the tactical radios used by its armed forces, with a major initiative in the offing to furnish the South African Army with new transceivers. Meanwhile, as the discussion below will illustrate ongoing procurements are occurring in Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.

I Barrett

Australia’s Barrett Communications is “currently working on a number of procurement programmes,” according

14

armada

2015/16 Tactical Radios Compendium

to Greg O’Neill, the firm’s managing director. He adds that these procurement programmes specifically concern the firm’s PRC-2090 HF and PRC-2080 VHF radios. The PRC-2090 is an HF manpack transceiver while the PRC-2080 is in fact a family of transceivers which includes the PRC-2080 five watt handheld radio which can be used at the squad level with the PRC-2081 designed as a 25W manpack system and finally the PRC-2082 50W UHF vehicular transceiver.

Although demurring from providing specifics, Mr. O’Neill states that; “these programmes are all at various stages of

Rafael Advanced Defence Systems’ BNET radio is manufactured in three distinct ‘flavours’ for ground forces, notably the handheld BNET-HH, the manpack BNETMP and BNET-V. Some of these radios are believed to be in service with the Israeli Army © Rafael

Exelis’ (now Harris) SideHat radio appliqué enable existing tactical radios which use the SINCGARS waveform to also use the SRW which is being rolled out as part of the JTRS initiative © Exelis/Harris

the pleasure of announcing a new player in this sector nevertheless, Per Vices Corporation of Toronto has brought its Crimson SDR to our attention. According to Brandon Malatest, co-founder of Per Vices Corporation, the Crimson SDR was launched in 2015, development having commenced in 2013. According to the company’s official literature, the radio has four independent transmit and receive channels, each capable offering up to 332MHz of bandwidth. Moreover, it has a significant data rate of up to 20 gigabitsper-second. Mr. Malatest says that the company does have military customers for the Crimson SDR but has demurred from revealing who these customers are.

I Elbit

Away from Canada, Israel remains as an important hub for tactical radio development. Elbit Systems, for example, is currently engaged in a major effort to overhaul the tactical communications used by the country’s army. This January it was awarded a contract worth $117 million under the Israeli Defence Force’s Digital Army Programme (DAP) which will outfit the force with a host of new Command and Control (C2) networks

Israel’s Digital Army Programme will outfit the force with a host of new C2 networks and new communications over the next six years. Elbit’s contract is to maintain and upgrade unspecified ‘wideband radios’, according to local press reports announcing the deal. These reports have not specified exactly which radios currently in use with the Israeli Army will receive the enhancements, or the scope of the enhancements therein.

I Rafael

Elbit Systems is joined as one of Israel’s providers of tactical radios by Rafael Advanced Defence Systems. At the heart of the company’s offerings in the tactical radio domain is its BNET broadband mobile, ad hoc networking, IP-based software defined radios. The BNET family includes handheld, manpack and vehicular radios known as the BNET-HH, BNETMP and BNET-V respectively.

The BNET-HH, as the five watt handheld radio is known, covers HF, VHF and UHF with an optional increase to S-band available if so desired by the customer. The radio can perform multiband reception when using the BNET-TX waveform, and handles data at up to 100mbps using the BNET-RX waveform, while accommodating several NATO waveforms. The BNET-MP/V, meanwhile, handles similar waveforms, but is slightly heavier, weighing seven kilograms (15.4lbs). Rafael has remained taciturn as to which ground forces have procured the BNET-HH/MP/V, although either one, or all three, radios are thought to be in use with the Israeli Army. That said, Ron Reiss, marketing and business development manager at the company’s C4I Directorate told Armada that it is planning to introduce new waveforms for BNET customers in 2016. In the land domain, this will include the G-WB (Ground Wideband Waveform) which will be available for use from early 2016.

I Reutech

While new waveforms may be adopted by Israeli tactical radio customers from 2016, South Africa is in the midst of overhauling armada

2015/16 Tactical Radios Compendium

15

2110M

Codan

AN/PRC-159

1.6 to 30 MHz 2.9 kg Waveforms: High Data Rate Waveform Power: 5 or 25 Watts Waveforms: Mil-STD-188-110A/B and Stanag-4539 Encryption: Wideband and band-limited frequency

hopping and voice encoding Notes: Supplied to Afghan Border Police and

Kyrgyz Republic.

Flexnet Four

Thales/Rockwell Collins

225-450MHz/L-band 0.78kg Power: Selectable up to 3.2W Waveforms: SRW and software upgradeable to

support additional and future waveforms.

Encryption: SW programmable security architecture

Suite B. Notes: Alongside its accommodation of the

Soldier Radio Waveform, this radio will

be able to access the WIN-T network.

HF-6000 HDR

2 MHz to 2 GHz 0.6 kg Power: 50 Watts UHF & VHF, open in HF Waveforms: Flexnet waveform, PR4G F@stnet, open

to standard or national waveforms Encryption: Embedded and customer-specific encryption Notes: IP-compliant protocols, one to four

simultaneous voice, data and video channels.

PR4G F@stnet

Thales

Elbit Systems

AN/PRC-117G

Harris 30 to 512 MHz 1.2 kg Power: 0.25 to 5 Watts Waveforms: VHF, UHF, AM, FM (Type 1 AES) Encryption: Type 1 Suite B AES, Type 3 AES, Des-OFB Notes: First tactical to receive NSA

certification forType 1 Suite B.

Soldier ISR Receiver

L-3

Ku/C/S/L-bands 0.9 kg Power: 3.5 Watts Waveforms: FM, FSK, BPSK, O-QPSK Encryption: Triple DES, AES Notes: IP-based secure, digital/analogue data/

video ISR receiver/SDR designed for

modular soldier systems.

Harris 30 MHz to 2 GHz 5.4 kg Power: 10 or 25 Watts (20 in Satcom mode) Waveforms: SINCGARS, HAVEQUICK-I/II, VHF, UHF,

AM, HPW, Dama, ANW2, 181B Tacsat Encryption: Sierra II NSA-certified Type I Notes: IP-based wideband networking radio,

transmits 5 Mbps over tactical Internet,

Over 50000 radios delivered to the

USMC to date.

PRC1099A

Datron 1.6 to 30 MHz 5.1 kg Power: 5, 20, 100 and 400 Watts Waveforms: Simplex or half-duplex USB, LSB, CW,

and Ame Encryption: Embedded ECCM and COMSEC Notes: 100 programmable channels, Fed-Std 1054 ALE, built-in test, 5 Watts

continuous duty.

30 to 88 MHz 0.7 kg Power: 5 Watts (20 w/amp) Waveforms: Mil-STD-188-110A/B and Stanag-4539 Encryption: Frequency hopping and voice Notes: Up to 16 kbps data with adaptive

algorithm, orthogonal network,

full freq band.

RF-310M-HH

Elbit Systems 1.5 to 30 MHz 3.9 kg Power: 20 Watts manpack/125 vehicular Waveforms: Voice/data, CW Encryption: Digital/analogue encryption Notes: Selective calling, digital squelch, pro prietary orthogonal and synchronous

networks w/o master station, data up

to 9.6 kbps, adaptive data algorithm,

frequency hopping ECCM.

30 to 88 MHz 0.87 kg Power: 2 Watts hand-held (see notes) Waveforms: F@stnet, isochronous TDMA Encryption: ECCM against narrow- and broadband jammers Notes: Radio family uses Mux mode,

continuous voice and data, 10 Watts

manpack 50 vehicle.

PRC-710

Harris

RF40

DICOM 30-512 megahertz

0.9kg Power: 5W with 10W Burst Waveforms: LOS FM/AM, WM40, HW20 Encryption: AES based key length up to 384 bits Notes: Launched in 2015, DICOM’s RF40

Thoroughbred V/UHF handheld radio

can achieve a data throughput of

270kbps. The addition of a Mission

Module can extend this to 40mbps.

Solder Radio Multofunctional 30 to 88 MHz Power: Waveforms:

Encryption: Notes:

armada 2015/16 Tactical Radios Compendium

Exelis/Harris 0.73 kg Variable wattage Soldier Radio Waveform, JTRS Bowman (JBW), capable of hosting others Programmable crypto subsystem VHF 30-88MHz 5 W, UHF 225-450 MHz 2 W, L-band 1250 - 1390/1710-1850 MHz 2 W.

A COMPENDIUM CNR-2000

Selex

CNR-9000

1.6 to 60 MHz 3.7 kg Power: 10 to 25 Watts Waveforms: CW (J2A), USB/LSB/FM voice, FSK,

NPSK phase shift keying and NQAM Encryption: Proprietary TRANSEC/COMSEC Notes: ELOS/BLOS/LOS, embedded GPS; HF-to HF/VHF-to-HF rebroadcast, Gen-3 ALE.

HH7700

Datron

MicroLight DH500

Thales

AN/PRC-150

30 to 512 MHz 0.95 kg Power: 0.5 to 5 Watts Waveforms: HAVEQUICK-I/II, SINCGARS Encryption: NSA Type 1, Type II DES Notes: Supplied to the US Army in 2007.

AN/PRC-148V3/V4 JEM upgrade makes

it compatible with JTRS frequency range.

PRC-2090

Barrett

Harris

PRC2100V

Exelis/Harris 30 to 88 MHz 0.65 kg Power: 0.1, 1* or 5 Watts Waveforms: NATO squelch, clear or secure voice,

SINCGARS, tactical Internet Encryption: Secure orthogonal frequency hopping,

country-specific crypto Notes: Embedded OTA position reporting, 12 channel GPS receiver, *International version.

Datron 30 to 88 MHz 4.2 kg Power: 0.5 to 10 Watts * Waveforms: VHF, voice, data, FM FF, simplex or

half duplex Encryption: full/partial freq hopping, digital encryption Notes: 12-chnl GPS, 16 Kbps data, * 0.5 to 75

W vehicle/fixed, selective calling,

voice priority

RF-7800S-TR

Harris 350 to 450 MHz 0.30 kg Power: 0.25, 1 or 2 Watts Waveforms: FSK or GMSK data/voice Encryption: Selectable Citadel II Asic or AES Notes: Full-duplex to six talkers, GPS position

report, range to one kilometre in jungle,

automatic whisper mode.

30 MHz to 2 GHz 3.6 kg Power: 20 Watts Waveforms: Narrowband VHF low, VHF high, UHF

low. Wideband UHF, ANW2 Encryption: AES 256-bit Notes: Fixed, manpack or vehicular, embedded

12-channel GPS, 2400 bps Melpe,

ad hoc networking.

Spearhead

Harris 1.6 to 60 MHz 4.7 kg Power: 1, 5, 20 Watts Waveforms: HF SSB, AM SSB, CW, VHF, FM, Melp, LPC-10 Encryption: NSA-certified Type 1, Melp vocoder,

serial-tone ECCM, coalition Citadel Notes: 75 programmable presets, ALE and

datalink protocols, wideband FSK data

to 16 kbps.

1.6 to 30 MHz 5.2 kg Power: 10 or 30 Watts* Waveforms: USB, LSB, AM, CW, AFSK, ALE Encryption: 5 or 25/sec freq hopping w/o master

station, Secure Call voice encryptor Notes: 500 programmable channels, GPS

tracking, digital crypto handset

interface, *100 Watts in vehicle dock,

64-character SMS.

RF-7800M-MP

Raytheon 225 MHz to 2.0 GHz 0.76 kg Power: 0.1 to 4 Watts Waveforms: Eight-hop relay, CPSM with DSSS,

TDMA, CDMA and FDMA Encryption: AES for secure-but-unclassified trans mission Notes: Web browser, VoIP, data, video and

position info.

1.5 to 30 MHz 3.9 kg Power: 0.5, 2 or 5 Watts Waveforms: Simplex over FM Encryption: Optional voice scrambler Notes: Splash proof, alphanumeric LCD, 2320

or 4640 channels (300 Hz to 3 MHz

FM), Vox and Whisper modes.

AN/PRC-148

Elbit Systems 30 to 108 MHz 3 kg Power: 5 to 20 Watts Waveforms: High data rate combat net radio Encryption: Orthogonal frequency hopping and ECCM Notes: 32 kbps data transfer, optional vocoder,

GPS, streaming on-the-move video.

SpearNet

Exelis/Harris 1.2 to 1.4 GHz 0.7 kg Power: 0.6 Watts Waveforms: Mil-STD-188-110A/B and STANAG-4539,

secure voice/data/video Encryption: DSSS, AES 256-bit Notes: Demonstrated out to a range of six km,

AES key management, tactical Lan

onthe-move, IPv4, six Mbps data burst.

armada 2015/16 Tactical Radios Compendium

OF RADIOS Centaur

Exelis/Harris

EPLRS-XF-I

225 to 450 MHz 14 kg Power: adaptive up to 20 Watts Waveforms: VHF/HF Centaur network data backbone Encryption: AES 256-bit Notes: Supply UK MoD’s M-Dor in 2011 under

$15 million contract. Now four Mbps data.

MPT3A

Reutech

MR300xU

Harris

AN/PRC-154

30 to 512 MHz 1.1 kg Power: 0.25 to 5 Watts (10 in Satcom mode) Waveforms: SINCGARS, VHF, UHF, AM, HAVEQUICK-I/II,

SATCOM HPW, Dama, P25 option Encryption: Sierra II programmable Notes: Dagr, PLGR GPS interoperable,

JTRS-approved, SCA-compliant SDR.

PRC-9651

ASELSAN

Exelis/Harris

PRC-9661

Kongsberg 225 to 400 MHz 0.7 kg Power: 0.1 to 1 Watts Waveforms: Multi-hop IP-based voice & data Encryption: Embedded AES 256-bit Notes: Supports parallel voice networks,

ad hoc IPv4 node (DHCP/routing), five

voice nets.

ASELSAN 30 to 512 MHz 1.4 kg Power: 1, 2, 5, 10 Watts Waveforms: VHF/FM, UHF/WBNR, UHF AM/FM, A-CNR Encryption: Frequency hopping for digital voice

and data Notes: Multi-mode multi-mission SDR, 50 W

power amp available.

RT-1523

DTCS/Iridium SATCOM 0.5 kg Power: connects to PC Waveforms: HF voice and data Encryption: AES 256 voice/data Notes: OTM over horizon secure voice, up to

five unique networks (soon ten),

<400 km range, pole-to-pole comms

w/o need for geo sat link.

SR600

GD-MS/Thales 5 to 15 GHz 1.1 kg Power: 2 Watts UHF, 5 L-band Waveforms: Soldier Radio Waveform voice and data,

UHF, L-band Encryption: Programmable NSA Type II COMSEC/TRANSEC Notes: Rifleman Radio, continuous location

reporting. LRIP began 7 July 2011

30 to 512 MHz 1.4 kg Power: 0.5, 1, 2.5, 4 Watts Waveforms: VHF/FM, UHF/WBNR, UHF AM/FM, A-CNR Encryption: Frequency hopping for digital voice

and data Notes: Multi-mode multi-mission SDR.

RO Tactical Radio

Rohde & Schwarz 25 to 30 MHz n/a Power: 10 to 150 Watts (see notes) Waveforms: Ale 2/3G, AM/FM, SSB, Stanag 4285

and 4246, Secos, HAVEQUICK-I/II Encryption: Secom-H/-V/-P and digital voice vocoders Notes: Integrated GPS and position reporting,

72 kbps data, wide variety of waveforms.

118 to 400 MHz 0.76 kg Power: 0.5 or 5 Watts Waveforms: Analogue voice, CVSD, TDMA, CSMA Encryption: Vocoder, frequency hopping, digital encryptor Notes: Customisable encryption algorithms,

GPS position reporting, 1 metre

immersion/2 hours.

AN/PRC-152

Raytheon 225 to 450 MHz 8 kg Power: up to 50 Watts Waveforms: Enhanced position, IP MANET Encryption: AES Encryption Notes: Sales to Canada and Australia, up to

32 simultaneous independent data

paths, auto route establishment, man pack/vehicular/airborne.

Exelis/Harris 30 to 88 MHz 3.5 kg Power: 0.1, 5, 50 Watts Waveforms: SINCGARS, tactical Internet Encryption: TRANSEC, programmable Type 1,

six frequency hopping presets Notes: Secure or clear frequency hopping, 2320

channels, over-the-air remote fill.

Over 500,000 SINCGARS radios now

delivered to the US Army.

St@r Mille-S

Thales 325 to 470 MHz 0.37 kg Power: 0.1 to 1 Watts Waveforms: High data-rate UHF Encryption: Embedded AES 256-bit Notes: Also available in vehicular and

intra-platoon versions, whisper mode,

up to 1.5 km in open terrain; 500 metres urban.

armada 2015/16 Tactical Radios Compendium

F@stnet Twin

Thales

FlexNet One

MR3000P

Rohde & Schwarz

MRC3005

25 to 146 MHz n/a Power: 5 Watts Waveforms: VHF SECOM-P digital EPM jam-resistant waveform Encryption: frequency hopping and digital encryption Notes: M3TR family. Optional GPS receiver,

remote control unit, nine

network presets.

AN/PRC-155

GD-MS/Rockwell Collins

Raytheon

RRC-9210

Exelis/Harris

R3507 / R3509

GD-MS

Radmor 20 - 520MHz 1.0 kg Power: 0.1 to 5 Watts Waveforms: multi waveform modem: VHF/UHF AM and FM, FH waveform / STANAG 4204,

4205, BMS IP WF Encryption: AES 256 Notes: Built in data transmission, GPS, SCA

interface, frequency hopping. Available

in vehicular version / MANET, GPS,

simultaneous voice and data

tranmission, frequency hopping

SDTR

Rohde and Schwarz HF/VHF/UHF n/a Power: 50 Watts Waveforms: High Data Rate Waveform Encryption: Robust Rohde and Schwarz security

and encryption.

Notes: SDTR family radios are optimized to

provide range, data and security

performance depending on user

requirements Waveforms enable mobile,

IP-based tactical communications

30 to 88 MHz 3.5 kg Power: 0.1, 5, 10, 50 Watts Waveforms: Sincgars, secure voice, IP data Encryption: Default orthogonal hopsets/six presets Notes: International SINCGARS radio. 12-channel

GPS, voice/data retransmit, position

reporting, waypoint management,

four-km remote control.

URC-200(V2)

Radmor 30 to 88.975 MHz 3.4 kg Power: 0.5/5 Watts Waveforms: Interoperable with all Thales PR4G radios Encryption: High level of ECCM protection Notes: Has built-in GPS receiver, can perform

simultaneous and independent voice

and data communications.

30 to 512 MHz 5.2 kg Power: 10 or 20 Watts Waveforms: SINCGARS, SATCOM, DAMA, HAVEQUICK

I/II, AM, FM, FSK, B/SB/DESB/SOQ PSK Encryption: Wide variety of voice and data

encryption capabilities, embedded COMSEC Notes: NSA/JITC certified, Melpe vocoder,

embedded tactical Internet/joint range

extension protocols, embedded IP stack.

RT-1702

Reutech 1.5 to 512 MHz 5.9 kg Power: 0.01, 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 10, 20 Watts Waveforms: HF, VHF, V/UHF, HAVEQUICK-II, CNR,

PRN, SCRA, IPoA, SECOM H/V, ALE 2/3G Encryption: Frequency hopping and voice Notes: Syllabic, tone, signal squelch, GPS

mode, 72 kbps OFDM data rate, 20-hour autonomy.

2 MHz to 2.5 GHz 6.5 kg Power: 20 Watts Waveforms: Soldier Radio Waveform, MUOS/SINCGARS,

EPLRS, HF SSB w/ALE, SATCOM Encryption: Type 1 and 2 embedded COMSEC and TRANSEC Notes: Two-channel JTRS HMS manpack,

four channels by networking.

LRIP began 7 July 2011.

AN/PSC-5D

Thales/Rockwell Collins 30 to 512 MHz in development Power: 50 Watts UHF and VHF Waveforms: Waveform customisation, supports

Flexnet and PR4G F@stnet waveforms Encryption: Programmable INFOSEC, customer

specific encryption Notes: SCA 2.2-compliant V/UHF narrow/

wideband, multimedia to six mbps,

first international SDR.

30 to 88/225 to 512 MHz >1 kg Power: 5 Watts UHF & VHF Waveforms: PR4G F@stnet, CNR, iMux, SuperMux,

St@rmille, air-ground Nextwave Encryption: Full TRANSEC/COMSEC Notes: Simultaneous voice/data, dual-channel

SDR, embedded GPS, 2D map facility.

WM600

30 to 420 MHz 4 kg Power: 0.15, 1 or 5 Watts Waveforms: VHF/UHF/AM/FM, non-freq hopping

SINCGARS connectivity Encryption: AM/FM clear and cipher text with

external COMSEC Notes: Frequency Enhancement version covers

30 to 90 MHz, range to 60 miles,

debuted 1/2010.

armada 2015/16 Tactical Radios Compendium

Kongsberg 225 to 400 MHz 4.1 kg Power: 0.1 to 5 Watts Waveforms: IPv4 multi-hop data or voice and data Encryption: Embedded AES 256-bit, multi-hop voice Notes: Long-range C4ISR SDR comms, 2.5

Mbps data, provides DHCP routing.

with manpack and fixed radios to provide HF beyond line-of-sight communications.

There is no word yet on when deliveries of these new radios will commence to the SANDF, how many units maybe supplied, or the likely value of any contracts to this end.

I NRTC

While South Africa is procuring new radios to equip its armed forces, other countries are enhancing their existing communications. For example, Pakistan’s National Radio and Telecom Corporation (NRTC) is upgrading legacy Associated Industries AN/PRC-77 VHF manpack radios with new electronics to increase the life of this radio, the company has told the author.

The modifications being conferred increase its data throughput from 19kbps to 65kpbs. The company is currently delivering 33000 of these upgraded radios to the Pakistan Army, with over 10000 delivered so far. The firm says that it can upgrade these radios at a rate of 1000 transceivers per year. In addition, a further 7000 are being delivered to the Saudi Arabian Army and National Guard, with deliveries of the upgraded radios expected to be completed by 2019. Beyond Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, the company told the author that it has witnessed interest from Indonesia in procuring the upgraded AN/PRC-77 to equip its armed forces,

but did not reveal if any contract for any procurement has yet been signed.

I United States

Tactical radio developments are dominated in North America by the United States’ Joint Tactical Radio System procurement; an ambitious programme to replace a wide range of transceivers in service with the US Navy (which will also furnish radios for the US Coast Guard and the US Marine Corps), the US Army and the US Navy.

Alongside the hardware, the programme realises several new waveforms to improve further the levels of networking, and quantities of data, available to warriors. For 2016, the US Army has been awarded $65 million in the country’s defence budget to continue work on the JTRS Handheld, Manpack, Small Form Factor (HMS) element of the overall JTRS undertaking.

Since 2004, the army has had the goal of procuring circa 200,000 handheld AN/ PRC-154/A(V)1/B(V)1 Rifleman Radios (from hereon in referred to as the AN/ PRC-154), and up to 60000 manpack radios for the US armed forces. Despite the well-documented fits andstarts that the HMS and Ground Mobile Radio (GMR) JTRS elements have suffered in recent years, which are discussed below, important contract awards witnessed during 2015 illustrate that momentum is now firmly behind the HMS element.

The Spearhead VHF handheld radio from Exelis (now Harris), provides secure voice and data communications. It has an integral GPS receiver and eight preset channels providing clear or secure communications © Exelis/Harris

the tactical radios used by that country’s armed forces. In September 2014, Reutech announced that it had been contracted by the South African Ministry of Defence to develop new software-defined combat net radios for the South African National Defence Force (SANDF).

The company says that several new radios will be developed for airborne, ground and maritime applications for voice and data traffic. These will include an Intra Platform Communication System, a Short Range Communication System with UHF handheld and vehicular radios, plus V/ UHF manpack, vehicular and fixed radios for medium range communications, along

20

armada

2015/16 Tactical Radios Compendium

The waveform used by Exelis’ (now Harris) SpearNet dismounted soldier radio has recently been enhanced with an increase in its data capacity from two to six-megabits-per-second.

With the new SpearNet-EVO radio configuration offering improvements to processing power © Exelis/Harris

INVISIO V60

Advanced Tactical Communication and Hearing Protection System

Worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Smallest

Quad-Com

Connect Anything

Plug & Go

Listen and talk simultaneously on 4 com sources, mounted or dismounted.

Lightest multi-com control unit, 20 meter submersible.

No training needed, fully functional from when radio is turned on.

The ultimate soldier hub for headsets, radios, remote PTTs and computers.

The INVISIO V60 depicted in actual size

Introducing INVISIO V60 INVISIO has for a decade been dedicated to providing the ultimate in-ear communication solutions to the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most demanding users.

The new INVISIO V60 Control Unit is a hearing protection and communication system with electronic hear-thru and impulse noise protection.

With the INVISIO X5 Dual In-Ear Headset, that uses the patented INVISIO Bone Conduction Technology, the INVISIO V60 system provides crystal clear communication even in the most extreme environments without compromising comfort during all day use.

Experience a new standard for operational efficiency and personal protection.

www.invisio.com

Thales’ AN/VRC-121 Vehicle Integrated Power Enhanced Rifleman radio uses technology from the company’s AN/PRC154/A Rifleman Radio in a transceiver which offers up to 30W of output power, handling SRW communications © Thales

volume of radios to be supplied, the value of the contract, or when deliveries of the radios would commence and conclude.

I Exelis

The US Army’s Warfighter Information Network-Tactical will provide the US armed forces with satellite communications across the US/Australian Wideband Global SATCOM constellation, helping to greatly increase communications ranges © US Army

I Datron

Although not directly involved with the JTRS initiative, Datron remains one of the grand old names in tactical communications, and its products continue to win orders all over the world.

In 2014, the firm announced that it had secured contracts to deliver HH2100V Spectre V tactical radios. Capable of

22

armada

2015/16 Tactical Radios Compendium

hosting 15 channels, and including voice and whisper modes, the radio can also withstand immersion in up to one metre (three feet) of water. ECCM protection is also standard, as is an embedded GPS receiver. Although the firm announced that the contract it had won for the radio was to equip an African nation, it declined to provide additional details regarding the

While Datron has won customers in Africa, Exelis (now part of Harris) continues to win orders in the United States. In April 2014 the company netted a five-year indefinite quantity/indefinite supply contract from the United States Army to supply SideHat radio appliqués which will carry the UHF Soldier Radio Waveform (SRW).

The SRW forms a key component of JTRS and is intended to be used at the lowest tactical level by dismounted troops, facilitating communication between troops and their vehicles. The SideHat radio appliqué can equip VHF tactical radios using the SINCGARS waveform to carry voice, data and imagery communications across the SRW. SideHat has the added benefit of allowing legacy VHF SINCGARS tactical radios thus equipped to communicate with new JTRS radios carrying the SRW, such as the AN/ PRC-154 radios (see above and below) that the US Army is currently procuring. The benefit which SideHat brings is that it can equip vehicular radios carrying the SINCGARS waveforms with the ability to maintain contact with troops using the SRW without needing to install a second radio onboard the vehicle.

The advent of the SRW in US Army service will have an impact beyond the transceivers the force operates. For example, AR Modular of Washington State produces a number of tactical radio amplifiers which can support the SRW, along with other waveforms such as the ANW2C (Adaptive Networking Waveform-C

proprietary waveform from Harris (see below) used around the world. The firm produces a number of V/UHF amplifiers such as the AR-20, AR-50 and AR-75 V/ UHF which have respective power outputs of 20W, 50W and 75W. Similarly, Ultralife of New York State, has joined forces with the UK’s C2UK to develop the recentlyunveiled MRC-MC4 which gives 20W of amplification to V/UHF radios, extending the communications range of existing handheld transceivers by up to three times their average range, according to Ultralife.

The MRC-M4 employs a waveform, radio, bearer and software agnostic approach to carrying simultaneous voice, imagery and data traffic.

Staying with waveforms, over the past twelve months, Exelis has enhanced the waveform used by its UHF SpearNet dismounted soldier radio. The original waveform had a data rate of two megabits-per-second, although this has now been increased to six megabits-per-

Thales’ AN/PRC-148 MBITR is used extensively by the US armed forces. Around 100,000 have been fielded, 31000 of which are in service with the US Army. However, this radio will eventually be replaced as part of the JTRS initiative © US DoD

WIN-T was deployed to West Africa in 2014 to assist US efforts to combat the Ebola outbreak there In February 2015 it was reported that the company had commenced the retrofit of the General Dynamics Stryker wheeled armoured fighting vehicles of the US Army’s 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team to handle the Increment-2 of the WIN-T protocol. WIN-T is being procured in several increments: Increment-1 enables voice, data and imagery SATCOM at-thehalt at battalion level and commenced fielding with the US Army in 2004. It has since been deployed by the force during combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Deployment of Increment-2, which adds battalion-, brigade- and divisionlevel SATCOM on-the-move commenced in 2013. Increment-3 of WIN-T is at the Harris’ AN/PRC-152A handheld wideband networking radios are equipping the research and development stage and will Australian Army. This radio can operate the enhance the protocol’s communications SINCGARS and HAVEQUICK-I/II waveforms, security and encryption. Increments alongside the APCO-25 waveform to -1/2 of WIN-T were deployed in enable communications with civilian first 2014 to aid Operation UNITED responders © Harris ASSISTANCE; the US Army’s humanitarian mission to combat second. Moreover, the SpearNet radio the recent Ebola outbreak in West has been upgraded to the SpearNet- Africa. Its deployment allowed the EVO configuration which improves its establishment of WIN-T enabled processing power and adds software to SATCOM networks where no local handle analogue video, the company told communications were available.

Alongside Thales, General the author. It added that all buyers of new SpearNet radios will receive SpearNet- Dynamics is involved in the US Army’s AN/PRC-154 UHF Rifleman EVO enhancements.

Radio programme. Part of the JTRS I General Dynamics initiative, the force has already begun Another company heavily involved in acquiring 21379 AN/PRCthe JTRS initiative is General Dynamics, 154 transceivers from Thales which is, among other aspects of this and General Dynamics as mammoth procurement, leading the part of a Low Rate Initial Warfighter Information Network-Tactical (WIN-T) protocol development. WIN-T is The US Army’s new AN/ being rolled out to provide the US armed forces with Ka-band (14GHz-uplink/10.9- PRC-154 Rifleman Radio is produced by both Thales 12.75GHz–downlink) SATCOM and General Dynamics (Satellite Communications) across the (Thales version pictured).

US Department of Defence/Australian This radio was procured Department of Defence Wideband Global under the low-rate initial SATCOM (WGS) constellation. For production phase of the more information on military SATCOM JTRS Handheld, Manpack, initiatives around the world, please see Small Form Factor Thomas Withington’s ‘From Space to Base’ programme © Thales article in this issue. armada

2015/16 Tactical Radios Compendium

23

Much like the LRIP phase of the JTRS HMS programme, the AN/PRC-155 dual-channel manpack transceiver is being procured by the US Army from General Dynamics and Rockwell Collins © US Army

Production (LRIP) initiative. Handling UHF and L-band traffic the radio has five watts of output power and an integral GPS antenna.

The $54 million LRIP of the AN/PRC154 was awarded by the US Army in July 2011. This covered the production of 6250 radios and was evenly split between Thales and General Dynamics. A second LRIP, also worth $54 million, was awarded by the US Army in September 2012 covering the production of 13000 AN/PRC-154

24

armada

2015/16 Tactical Radios Compendium

radios again split evenly between each firm, bringing the total number of AN/ PRC-154s ordered to 19250.

In terms of performance, up to 50 present programmable channels are accommodated on the radio, with each channel able to host up to three talk groups. These radios carry the SRW (see above) and are equipping the US Army’s 10th Mountain Division, 82nd Airborne Division and 101st Airborne Division.

The US Army has since pressed ahead with the Full Rate Production of the Rifleman Radio (see below). Ultimately, the AN/ PRC-154 will replace the legacy Thales AN/PRC-148 MBITR (Multiband Inter/ Intra Team Radio) used by the US Army, along with the Harris AN/PRC-152 VHF Multiband Handheld Radio.

In essence, the decision to procure the AN/PRC-154 has enabled the US Army to replace two disparate radios with a single system. The Rifleman Radio programme is significant for the US Army as it improves the situational awareness for soldiers at the Forward Edge of the Battle Area (FEBA). Whereas tactical radios, particularly handheld and personnel role radios equipping squads, platoons and their commanders have traditionally been used mainly for voice communications, the ability of the existing AN/PRC-154 Rifleman Radios procured through the LRIP discussed above, and the new radios to be procured via the FRP, to carry geolocation information and to handle data and imagery will both significantly improve the warrior’s situational awareness, and their ability to send information back up the chain of command regarding their situation and locale.

Another important dimension of the JTRS initiative is the manpack transceiver.

This is being realised in the form of the AN/PRC-155 provided by both General Dynamics and Rockwell Collins, in a similar fashion to the dual source arrangement for the LRIP of the AN/ PRC-154 (see above).

In terms of architecture, the AN/ PRC-155 is a dual-channel radio allowing commanders to communicate with their troops on one channel, while conversing with other echelons of command on the second. As of March this year, the two companies have completed the delivery of 1500 radios as the result of a follow-on LRIP for the AN/PRC-155. This takes the total number of AN/PRC-155s ordered to date to 5300, since the first LRIP was awarded to the two companies by the US Army for an initial tranche of 100 AN/ PRC-155s in 2011, plus a further LRIP order for 3725 radios in November 2014.

The following order for 1500 radios which Rockwell Collins and General Dynamics completed the delivery of this March was awarded in January 2014.

Equipping the US Army, the radio can handle several waveforms including the SRW, SINCGARS, UHF SATCOM, MUOS

The WNW is designed to provide communications between ground vehicles and aircraft (see below) and the Wideband Networking Waveform (WNW). The ability of the AN/PRC-155 to handle SINCGARS is important as gives the radio compatibility with legacy transceivers which will remain in service with the US Army while the new radios being procured as a result of the various JTRS components are phased in. The WNW is designed to provide airto-ground/ground-to-air communications between ground vehicles and aircraft.

Like the AN/PRC-154 discussed above, these are equipping the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions. Also included in the AN/PRC-155s’ waveform set is the WIN-T discussed above. Readers will have noted that the AN/PRC-155 has only been procured under an LRIP to date, yet the US Army does have aspirations for an eventual procurement of over 60000 examples.

Nonetheless, some media reports over the

last two years have stated that US Army soldiers who have used the AN/PRC-155 have been dissatisfied with its weight and battery life. That said sources have told Armada that they expect contracts for the manpack component of HMS JTRS requirement to be awarded in the second quarter of 2016 with full rate production then expected to commence in 2017, with the possibility of up to 60296 manpack radios eventually being procured.

I Harris

While General Dynamics, Thales and Rockwell Collins have fulfilled the LRIP element of the JTRS HMS dimension, Harris is now moving forward regarding the FRP element of the handheld HMS segment.

In late-April, the US Army awarded Harris a ten year contract, which includes a five-year base and an optional five-year extension, worth a maximum of $3.9 billion for an Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (ID/IQ) supply, with Full Rate Production expected to commence in 2017, according to a company press release.

The press release continued that the firm

expects to use its AN/PRC-159(1) radio as the core of its handheld FRP offering.

This radio will accommodate the SRW (see above), alongside accessing the WIN-T (see above) network.

Harris is not the only company which will be fulfilling the handheld FRP requirement. The US Army awarded contracts to two vendors, with Thales also tasked to provide transceivers. Both Thales and Harris will each produce 50 radios for initial laboratory evaluations to ensure that the radios meet basic requirements.

Following the outcome of these tests, the radios will move towards operational evaluation and, pending a successful evaluation either one or both companies (depending on the results of the laboratory and operational evaluations) will then be able to compete for US Army orders for their offerings, with fielding of the radios then occurring from 2017.

Like Harris’ contract discussed above, Thales has been awarded an ID/ IQ contract. There is no word yet from Thales as to whether it will use its AN/ PRC-154 design (see above) as its core, or whether it will instead develop an entirely

Tactical Scalable TM MANET - TSM High Speed IP Networking

Simultaneous Voice, Video, PLI, IP Data in One Radio Network

Mapping Service Image: Google

TW-130 WildCat IITM Vehicular Manpack

TW-225 CheetahNet® Mini Handheld Squad Radio

TW-600 OcelotTM Embeddable Module

TW-850 TSM GhostTM Small Form Factor Radio

Self-forming/Self-healing • No Infrastructure Required • Ease-of-Use For more information, contact Info@TrellisWare.com or go to www.TrellisWare.com

Copyright © 2015 TrellisWare Technologies, Inc.

Harris’ RF-7800V radio can be teamed with the company’s RF-7800I vehicle intercom system. It has been procured by the Philippines Army in this configuration to outfit its M113A1/A2 tracked armoured personnel carriers © Harris

new radio to fulfil the FRP requirements?

Ultimately, given the size of the FRP order, when combined with the LRIP contracts awarded to date and discussed above, the US Army could receive an eventual full complement of more than 200,000 handheld radios by 2025.

Harris, meanwhile, is moving forward with its MUOS (Mobile User Objective System) waveform to equip its AN/PRC117G manpack wideband tactical radio.

The MUOS waveform will carry satellite communications across the US Navy’s new MUOS satellite constellation. The MUOS constellation will handle narrowband VHF communications at data rates of up to 384kbps. The addition of the waveform is being offered as a software enhancement for the AN/PRC-117G. MUOS is expected to be particularly useful for assisting troops in the urban environment. The laws of physics prevent U/VHF radios having anything more than a line-of-sight range. This causes problems in locations such as the mountains of the Hindu Kush in Afghanistan, where rugged terrain can block V/UHF transmissions, or the buildings of downtown Fallujah in central Iraq where concrete can have a similar effect. That said V/UHF communications have an important attribute as they carry

26

armada

2015/16 Tactical Radios Compendium

Harris RF-7850M-HH multiband combat net radio performs V/UHF communications using up to ten watts of output power. The radio can be utilised for long-range inter-squad and ground-to-air communications © Thomas Withington

larger quantities of data, particularly compared to HF transmissions. MUOS attempts to outflank the rugged terrain/ urban canyon restrictions by allowing VHF communications to bounce off a satellite from one radio to another to thus ‘skip’ over such obstacles.

Away from JTRS, Harris has had a busy year and, in mid-January, won an order to outfit the US Marine Corps with an undisclosed number of V/UHF AN/PRC-

117G Falcon-III manpack radios. Equipped with the SRW, these radios can also carry the MUOS waveform. Alongside these two waveforms, this radio can accommodate SINCGARS, and the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation’s HAVEQUICK-I/II air-to-ground/groundto-air waveform plus the firm’s proprietary Adaptive Networking Wideband Waveform for high bandwidth data communications.

INTERNATIONAL

SUBSCRIBE NOW! thE dEfENCE dECISION-MAKER’S fIRSt-ChOICE REfERENCE JOURNAL ARMAdA INtERNAtIONAL & COMPENdIUM SERIES OffER YOU INSIGht & ANALYSIS tO StAY AhEAd.

compendium

Issue 3/2015

cover Final v4.pdf

1

6/2/58 BE

2:40 PM

Compendiu m

June/July 2015

UAVs

by armada

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

time to ge t real armada INTER compendium

new armada cover.indd 6

cover.indd

NATIONAL: The trusted

source for defenc

10

5/29/58 BE 6:05 PM

e technology

information

since 1976

5/18/58 BE

SUPER SAVER OFFER VALID FOR LIMITED PERIOD ORDER FORM

Yes, I would like to receive armada

1 year

2 years

11:47 AM

Annual Subscription: For Europe CHF 222 Other countries USD 222

Please deliver the magazine at the below address: Name:..........................................................................Position / Rank:......................................................................................

Organisation / Unit:........................................Address: .............................................................................................................. ..................................................City:....................................... Postcode:.................................. Country:…….…....………….

Tel:…………………………..................... Fax:………….……...…….....…............. Email:…….…....…...............................

I would like to pay by card.

American Express

Mastercard

Visa

Card Number:………….................................. Expiry Date:..............................Signature:........................................................

Name on Card:............................................................................. Card Security Code...............................................................

By cheque: Cheque made payable to: Media Transasia Limited, MAIL or FAx your subscription form to: armada: Media Transasia Ltd., 75/8, 14th Floor, Ocean Tower 2, Soi Sukhumvit 19, Bangkok 10110 THAILAND. Tel +66 2204 2370 Fax: +66 2204 2387 Email: accounts@mediatransasia.com or subscribe via www.armadainternational.com

Harris has designed the RF-7800S SPR Falcon-III radio to perform voice and data communications at soldier level. This UHF radio includes a USB port to enable thirdparty devices to be connected, and has two watts of output power © Thomas Withington

Other orders for the AN/PRC-117G have been forthcoming from Australia which ordered this radio, together with Harris’ AN/PRC-152A handheld wideband networking radios both of which are equipping the Australian Army (see below). Alongside SINCGARS and HAVEQUICK-I/II, this radio can carry the APCO-25 waveform which links it to the radio communications used by first responders in the United States; a useful feature when the military is called upon to assist civilian authorities. Meanwhile, in November 2014, Canada ordered $159 million worth of AN/PRC-117G handheld radios and Harris RF-7800H HF/VHF manpack transceivers. This latter radio can perform data communications at a rate of up to 120kbps, and includes the company’s

28

armada

2015/16 Tactical Radios Compendium

proprietary Citadel encryption available in three configurations which can either be configured for the customer by Harris or by the customer themselves.

In September 2014, Harris announced that it had won a contract worth $19 million to supply up to 1500 AN/PRC152A handheld radios to the United States Air Force Special Operations Command.

Carrying V/UHF traffic, the radio employs the HAVEQUICK-I/II and SINCGARS waveforms. This is in addition to Harris’ proprietary HPW (High Performance Waveform). An IP enabled version of the HPW, plus the APCO P25 waveform, are also available to customers as options.

Although SINCGARS, HAVEQUICK-I/ II, APCO P25, the HPW and IP HPW are all narrowband waveforms, the AN/PRC-

152A can accommodate the SRW and the Airborne Networking Waveform (ANW), the latter of which equips the USAF for air-to-air communications.

Furthermore, Harris announced in December 2014 that it had secured a contract from the Philippines worth $18 million to cover the supply of the company’s RF-7800V VHF handheld radio which will be teamed with the firm’s RF7800I vehicle intercom system, equipping vehicles used by the Hukbong Katihan ng Pilipinas (Philippines Army). Harris did not reveal the quantity of radios to be supplied, or when deliveries will conclude, although it did tell the author that deliveries commenced this year. This radio/vehicle intercom combination will be integrated onboard the BAE Systems M113A1/

ARMADA_AR20-AR50:Layout 1 9/14/15 5:44 PM Page 1

A2 tracked armoured personnel carriers operated by that country’s army. Along with a GPS receiver as standard, the radios accommodate Harris’ proprietary Citadel-II encryption and its QUICKLOOK ECCM waveform. Handling up to 192kbps of data, up to 64 users can be accommodated on a network at any one time using the RF-7800V via Harris’ Time Division Multiple Access waveform.

As this article has illustrated, Harris, like several other tactical radio suppliers provides proprietary waveforms for its transceivers, which can also accept specific customer waveforms.

For instance, its RF-7850S Secure Personal Radio which was launched in 2014 uses the firms’ S-TNW V/UHF waveform.

This offers narrowband communications typically occupying 25 kilohertz of radio spectrum, with two wideband modes offering 1.2MHz and five megahertz worth of bandwidth respectively. Alongside the RF-7850S, the S-TNW can be ported into other Harris transceivers. The company told the author that the waveform guarantees any users voice and position information reporting, with wideband communications being available for the transmission of data-heavy communications containing imagery.

I GMR

One element of the land forces component of JTRS remains conspicuous by its absence, namely the Ground Mobile Radio (GMR). Boeing had been contracted in 2002 to provide the GMR with the potential value of the programme to the firm being around $2 billion, which it received during the development of the radio, with the eventual GMR procurement potentially worth up to $19.5 billion.

In October 2011, Boeing’s participation in the GMR element of JTRS was at an end. The DoD pulled the plug because of rising costs with Frank Kendall, the Pentagon’s undersecretary of defence for acquisition, technology and logistics informing the US Congress in a letter that the GMR programme had been terminated because of the “growth in the (radio’s) unit costs.”

According to media reports, the GMR had also failed the US Army’s Network Integrated Environment (NIE) testing. The radio had been certified by the US National Security Agency which, among other duties, supervises encryption and communications security standards employed by the US military, to employ the WNW (see above); being the first JTRS radio as certified to do so.

With the GMR terminated, the US Army has moved ahead with the Mid-Tier Networking Vehicular Radio (MNVR) as its replacement. According to the US Army’s official literature, the MNVR will be tasked to provide tactical communications to and from brigade and battalion levels to company and platoon echelons.

In September 2013, the US Army awarded Harris a contract worth $8.4 million to supply 232 MNVR radios for testing and evaluation. This May the US Army announced that it had put the radio through its paces at its NIE, which included a large-scale technology demonstration performed at the force’s Electronic Proving Ground at Fort Huachuca, Arizona, alongside bench testing at Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland.

These tests formed an important component of the MNVR’s development ahead of its anticipated fielding which the US Army hopes to achieve in the 2017 timeframe. Additional US Army testing in Panama has also been performed during 2015 to check the radio’s performance in jungle environments. In terms of

Tactical Booster Amplifiers These extremely light weight booster amplifiers are no lightweights when it comes to performance. They increase the range of tactical radio communications even in extreme conditions…when a clear, dependable signal is critical. They’re tough, durable, simple to use.

And they’re completely dependable.

AR-20 World’s Smallest 20-Watt Man-Packable Amp •30 – 512 MHz with available LOS and SATCOM • 20 Watts •Black Hawk Tested to 35 Nautical Miles •Supports AM, FM, HPW, SINCGARS, IW, ANW2, SRW, WNW, ASCM, and more waveforms •Works with multiple radios including AN/PRC-154 Rifleman™, AN/PRC-152, AN/PRC-148

AR-50 The Widest Range of Radio Platforms & Waveform Support • 30 – 512 MHz • 50 Watts • USA JITC-Certified •Tested to 400G Drop Test & 4G Vibration Test •Supports AM, FM, HPW, SINCGARS, IW, ANW2, SRW, WNW, ASCM, and more waveforms •Works with Harris AN/PRC-117F, AN/PRC-117G, AN/PRC-152A, Thales MBITR AN/PRC-148, Raytheon AN/PSC-5D, Rockwell Collins AN/ARC-210 tactical radios and more

To learn more, visit us at www.arworld.us/tactical or call us at 425-485-9000.

modular rf

Other ar divisions: rf/microwave instrumentation • receiver systems • ar europe The Battle Tested logo is Reg. U.S. Pat. & TM. Off. # 3,821,099.

Copyright© 2015 AR. The orange stripe on AR products is Reg. U.S. Pat. & TM. Off.

company this radio hosts all of the required narrow- and wideband waveforms employed by the US military for tactical communications, including MUOS. Maj. Gen. Moran claims that this radio; “meets or exceeds the US Army’s requirements (for the MNVR programme) in both the dismounted and mounted configurations.”

I Future Shock

The TW-400 Cub is intended to provide radio connectivity for sensor systems in a wearable configuration. Operating across a UHF radio link, it can be used to carry live video streams, and conserves power with an integral ‘sleep’ mode © TrellisWare

waveforms, like the GMR (see above), the MNVR carries the WNW, along with the SRW, allowing linkages to the AN/PRC155 and AN/PRC-154, and enabling the MNVR to act as a node across which WNW and SNW communications can hop. The US Army expects the Initial Operational Test and Evaluation of the MNVR to be performed by the end of 2015.

According to Major General (Retired) Dennis Moran, Harris’ vice president of government business development for its radio frequency communications division, the firm is offering its RF-340M radio to satisfy this US Army requirement. In fact, the company is already supplying these multi-channel radios to the force, having won a contract of an undisclosed value for an undisclosed number of transceivers in September 2014. According to the

The key trends being observed in the tactical radio domain are the sheer range of capabilities being placed in the hands of individual soldiers by today’s, and tomorrow’s systems. As this article has illustrated, the handling of significant quantities of data, which includes imagery, is now standard from the command level, down to troops in contact at the FEBA. New waveforms such as ESSOR and the WNW (see above) stress the importance of data with information, like speed, now increasingly meaning life. Similarly, the ability to handle significant quantities of data across long ranges is being underlined by initiatives such as the MUOS satellite constellation which not only offer high data rates, but communications across intercontinental ranges.

At the hardware level, new products such as DICOM’s RF40 Thoroughbred offer the ability to increase their data rates through the use of add-on modules, thus placing more information literally into the hands of the individual soldier. Beyond data rates and ranges, interoperability remains a key consideration in tactical radio capability. Initiatives such as COALWNW are working to ensure that soldiers from disparate nations can communicate with one another when performing future coalition operations.

On the eve of the military communications revolution ushered in a century ago during the First World War, such capabilities would have seemed very distant indeed as the tactical radio domain took its first baby steps.

I index to advertisers AR MODULAR

29

FIDAE CHILE

ARMADA SUBSCRIPTION

27

GENERAL DYNAMICS

BARRETT COMMUNICATIONS

13

INVISIO

21

DATRON

C4

TRELLISWARE

25

ELBIT SYSTEMS

C2

30

armada

2015/16 Tactical Radios Compendium

C3 7

2015/16

armada INTERNATIONAL: The trusted source for defence analysis since 1976 TACTICAL RADIOS FINAL.indd 1

30/09/2015 11:52

ON THE COVER: Elbit System’s PNR-1000 V/UHF handheld radio has an adjustable power output of up to two watts and offers users a data transfer rate of up to 320 kbps, with the opportunity for this to be increased to one megabit-per-second © Elbit

Compendium Tactical Radios Supplement to armada Issue 5/2015 Volume 39, Issue No. 5, October-November 2015 armada international is published bi-monthly by Media Transasia Ltd. Copyright 2012 by Media Transasia Ltd. Publishing Office: Media Transasia Ltd., 1603, 16/F, Island Place Tower, 510 King’s Road, Hong Kong Editor: Thomas Withington Chairman: J.S. Uberoi President: Egasith Chotpakditrakul Chief Financial Officer: Gaurav Kumar General Manager International Marketing: Vishal Mehta Manager Marketing: Jakhongir Djalmetov Sales & Marketing Coordinator: Wajiraprakan Punyajai Editorial Coordinator: Sumana Sumanakul Art Director: James Nvathorn Graphic Designer: Khakanaa Suwannawong Production Manager: Kanda Thanakornwongskul Group Circulation Manager: Porames Chinwongs Advertising Sales Offices ■ AUSTRIA, BENELUX, SWITZERLAND Cornelius W. Bontje Ph: +41 79 635 2621, cornelius.bontje@gmail.com ■ FRANCE Promotion et Motivation, Odile Orbec Ph: +33 1 41 43 83 00, o.orbec@pema-group.com ■ GERMANY Sam Baird Ph: +44 1883 715 697, sam@whitehillmedia.com ■ ITALY, NORDIC COUNTRIES Emanuela Castagnetti-Gillberg Ph: +46 31 799 9028, emanuela.armada@gmail.com ■ PAKISTAN Kamran Saeed, Solutions Inc. Tel/Fax: (92 21) 3439 5105 Mob: (92) 300 823 8200 Email: kamran.saeed@solutions-inc.info ■ SPAIN Vía Exclusivas, Macarena Fdez. de Grado Ph: +34 91 448 76 22,macarena@viaexclusivas.com ■ UK, EASTERN EUROPE, GREECE, TURKEY Zena Coupé Ph: +44 1923 852537, zena@expomedia.biz ■ RUSSIA Alla Butova, NOVO-Media Ltd, Ph: (7 3832) 180 885 Mobile : (7 960) 783 6653 Email :alla@mediatransasia.com ■ USA (EAST/SOUTH EAST), CANADA Margie Brown, Ph: (540) 341 7581, margiespub@rcn.com ■ USA (WEST/SOUTH WEST), BRAZIL Diane Obright, Ph: (858) 759 3557, blackrockmediainc@icloud.com ■ ALL OTHER COUNTRIES Vishal Mehta, Tel: +66 2204 2370, Mob: +66 98 252 6243 E-Mail: vishal@mediatransasia.com Jakhongir Djalmetov, Mobile: +66 81 645 5654 E-Mail: joha@mediatransasia.com Annual subscription rates: Europe: CHF 222 (including postage) Rest of the World: USD 222 (including postage) Controlled circulation: 25,029 (average per issue) certified by ABC Hong Kong, for the period 1st January 2014 to 31st December 2014.

Printed by Media Transasia Ltd., 75/8, 14th Floor, Ocean Tower II, Soi Sukhumvit 19, Sukhumvit Road, Bangkok 10110, Thailand.

Tel: 66 (0)-2204 2370, Fax: 66 (0)-2204 2390 -1 Subscription Information: Readers should contact the following address: Subscription Department, Media Transasia Ltd., 75/8, 14th Floor, Ocean Tower II, Soi Sukhumvit 19, Sukhumvit Road, Bangkok 10110, Thailand.

Tel +66 2204 2370 Fax: +66 2204 2387 Email: accounts@mediatransasia.com

www.armadainternational.com

TECHNOLOGY YOUR TROOPS WILL ACTUALLY USE. Designed with the user in mind, Datron radios are engineered to provide the right feature set for our customers’ requirements. With the addition of the HH2100V handheld radio and automated digital retransmission capability to the Spectre V® tactical radio series, deployment of full VHF tactical networks is now possible. Front-line troops can communicate securely to commanders through the network, share data, and have their positions automatically reported back. All this from a radio that is built to allow troops to focus on the mission not the technology.

To learn more about the Spectre V® family of radios and other communications solutions from Datron visit us online at ww www.dtwc.com

Visit us at AUSA, October 12-14 at Booth #3304 PHOTO: SSgt Ezekiel R Kitandwe