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www.satellite-evolution.com | January/February 201830
Tactical Communications
Photo courtesy of US Department of Defense
Enhancing tactical communicationswith more cohesive solutionsThere’s no need to state the importance of tactical communications to defence forces the worldover; we all know it’s absolutely critical for critical missions. Despite this, as methodologies haveadvanced beyond smoke signals and carrier pigeons and into the digital age, tacticalcommunications systems have become fragmented.
Having attended Global MilSatCom 2017 in November, acommon theme emerged from the international defence forcespeakers: Needs are not being met. The biggest challenge,echoed by many presenters, is the large number of legacysystems in use and the lack of integration, which slows downanalysis and decision-making.
Many systems, each using different software code andcoding languages, are in place at any command centrearound the world, resulting in systems with different userinterfaces, incompatible data models and map engines. Suchsystems have required software ‘middle-ware’ mediation toenable data sharing, requiring even more maintenance costsand equipment. Evidently, there are many opportunities outthere for enterprising companies to produce direly-neededintegrated solutions.
According to Global Market Insights, Inc., the globaltactical communications market will be valued around US$30billion by 2024, growing at a CAGR of more than three percentin 2017-2024. The replacement of outdated legacy systemsis expected to drive market growth, while the report cites
technological advances such as bone conduction, ear canalequipment, and penetration of LTE in professional mobileradios as a defining force in the increased adoption of thisequipment. The trend for product miniaturisation is expectedto transform the tactical communications market in the comingyears.
Integrated tactical communications systems are expectedto be key in military communications trends in the comingyears as technology makes ever-advanced capabilitiespossible.
South Africa anticipates ‘world first’ tacticalcommunications systemSouth Africa suffers from a notoriously slow upgrade andacquisition process within its defence department (like manyother countries), at least as far as its ground-based airdefence system (GBADS) is concerned. First announced in2002, it was only in 2017 that the first phase, the local warningsegment (LWS), was delivered to the Air Defence ArtilleryFormation in Kimberley, where it is reportedly operational.
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Despite the slow progress being made in some areas,November 2017 saw Armscor, the South African Departmentof Defence’s arms procurement agency, announce in itsannual report plans to acquire a complete new generationtactical communication system for the South African NationalDefence Force. According to reports, it will be the first tacticalcommunications system in the world to provide completeinteroperability between all battlefield elements (Air Force,Army, Navy, etc.) without using gateways or protocolconvertors.
The system ‘will make provision for all tacticalcommunication requirements for all arms of service and willensure full interoperability between all users in the variousservices.’ It will include state-of-the-art transmission andinformation security techniques, while incorporating semi real-time data link performance characteristics, in addition todigital voice communication.
So far, various parts of the system have been completed,including industrialisation of the four major sub-systems; HighFrequency (HF) Radio system; the Very/Ultra High Frequency(V/UHF) radio system; Intra Platform Communication System(IPCS); and the Short Range Communication System (SRCS).Operational test and evaluation were planned to be conductedin the second half of 2017, although no updates have sincebeen made.
US Army advances Command Post ComputingEnvironmentSouth Africa is far from alone in desiring an integrated tacticalcommunications system to enhance capabilities. The USArmy, too, is implementing a plan to modernize softwareapplications and hardware used in command post operations,which will streamline operations.
According to reports, the current computing environmentin the command post (CP) consists of many separately-developed systems with dozens of screens depicting datafrom the battlefield, as well as multiple servers and differenttypes of computers to support warfighting functions likeMovement, Manoeuvre, Intelligence and Fires. While eachsystem is undoubtedly useful (and it had better be,considering how much each most likely cost to develop), theseparation between systems creates difficulties in providinga common operating picture (COP).
As such, the US Army is now developing the CommandPost Computing Environment (CP CE) to shrink the technicaland physical footprint and cut out legacy warfighting systemsat the command post. With CP CE, the user experience willbe simplified with combined warfighting functions in acommon user interface, reducing training times andenhancing capabilities. Indeed, according to the US Army,CP CE in planned for initial operational capability in 2019.
“Right now, a commander receives operational informationfrom multiple devices inside the CP because there is not asingle application to integrate all applications as aconsolidated product,” said Col. Troy Crosby, Project Managerfor Mission Command, which manages the development andexecution of CP CE. ”The commander has to mentally fuseinformation to make decisions. We will now get to one picturethat has every overlay of all warfighting information neededto make rapid and informed decisions.”
According to Dan Lafontaine, PEO C3T Public Affairs,which is delivering the network to regions around the world,and Bob Silver (Deputy Product Manager, PM MissionCommand’s Tactical Mission Command, the challenge liesin moving from multiple Army Battlefield Command Systems(ABCSs), each of which was built using different code andcode languages, operating on different interfaces andproducing incompatible data models and map engines, to amore streamlined, cost-efficient and cohesive system.
CP CE will consist of a new, single tactical serverinfrastructure with a common software baseline, which willprovide one underlying core command post system uponwhich additional warfighting functionality can be built. Astandardised map, message centre and data model will serveas a foundation for every warfighter application, and willremain the same for every computer and every soldier,regardless of military branch or speciality. Three versions –small, medium and large, of CP CE will be available,depending on the mission need, in a nod to the need todecreasing size, weight and power (SWaP) needs. In addition,CP CE will also interoperate with the Mounted ComputingEnvironment and the Mobile/Handheld ComputingEnvironment.
“We’re moving to a web-based service where the serverwill be the brain instead of having every laptop locally loadedwith hardware and software. Any workstation connected tothe server should be able to access the web clientenvironment, log in and be ready to view the commonoperational picture,” said Maj. Jerry Jones, Assistant ProductManager for CP CE. ”The applications create a digital overlay,meaning commanders can toggle on and off to see what theyneed. When I log in, I get warfighting functions specific to myjob function.”
To meet the 2019 deployment timeline, a commercial-off-Photo courtesy of LeoSat
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the-shelf (COTS) acquisition strategy has been adopted,which is also expected to reduce costs.
UK MoD makes progress on MORPHEUS projectThe UK, meanwhile, is also working to advance its tacticalcommunication and information systems (TacCIS) capabilitieswith its MORPHEUS project, which will address criticalsystem obsolescence and introduce a more agile TacCISsolution. The project will enable emergent technologies tobe rapidly exploited, be more responsive to changes in userneed, and will realise significant efficiencies.
April 2017 saw General Dynamics UK awarded a UK£330million contract from the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) todesign and develop the next-generation TacCIS system asthe initial phase for the MORPHEUS project. The system willbe used to plan, deploy, manage and monitor communicationsand information for the Army, and will allow users to integratenew radios, applications and other system components fasterand with greater ease.
According to reports, General Dynamics will implementa new architectural approach called Evolve to Open (EvO),which will evolve the Bowman tactical communication (BCIP5.6) capability into an open, modular system. The systemwill connect deployed tactical forces to their commanders,give improved access to powerful operational IT and simplifythe user experience.
The open system approach allows new technologies tobe rapidly integrated to tackle emerging threats and enhanceinteroperability with allies.
“The Transition Partner contract is just the first of manyprocurement projects to deliver the MORPHEUS Evolve toOpen baseline over the next few years,” said Brigadier RichardSpencer, Head of the MoD’s Battlefield and TacticalCommunications and Information System Delivery Team.
“This first contract opens the door for numerous industryopportunities to contribute to the next generation of battlefieldcommunications.”
Later in July 2017, the MoD issued a tender valued atbetween UK£50-95 million to help deliver the MORPHEUSprogramme and support other key focuses being undertakenby the Battlefield Tactical Communications and InformationSystems (BATCIS) team. The MoD is seeking a broad numberof functions, including technical support services for theBACTIS group, as part of a five-year programme due tocommence in March 2018.
While the initial focus will be on client-side support forthe MORPHEUS programme, additional support may alsobe delivered to the BATCIS systems engineering assurancefunction, dismounted situational awareness (DSA) and theTrinity project, which aims to introduce Wide Area Networkcapability for Land Environment operations.
“MORPHEUS will, in line with the Defence InformationStrategy, deliver the tactical element of the Single InformationEnvironment enabling decision support and informationsuperiority for commanders in the Land Environment battle-space through the rapid exploitation of emergent technologyto maximise user agility, and reduce delivery times and costby eradicating vendor lock-in to become masters of our owndestiny,” stated the tender notice.
Invitations to tender were due to be dispatched inSeptember 2017 following expressions of interest fromsuppliers.
DoD continues to test MUOSThe Department of Defense (DoD) has been advancing theMobile User Objective System (MUOS), a narrowband militarysatellite communications system, for some time now, withthe aim of delivering increased UHF communications
Photo courtesy of US Department of Defense
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capabilities, namely greater mobility, higher bit rates andimproved operational availability, via legacy and modernterminals alike.
MUOS comprises five GEO satellites developed byLockheed Martin and four ground stations. MUOS-1 throughMUOS-4 comprise the initial configuration, while MUOS-5 isan on-orbit spare ensuring the network is always available tosupport the US and its allied mobile forces. While around 60percent of military communications rely on narrowband UHFband (300MHz to 3GHz) right now, eventually Wideband CodeDivision Multiple Access (WCDMA) will come into play; assuch, each of the MUOS satellites has two payloads tosupport both UHF and WCDMA capabilities. MUOS radioterminal users can seamlessly connect around the globe andinto the Global Information Grid, as well as into the DefenseSwitching Network.
In the latest news, October 2017 saw a team from MarineCorps Tactical Systems Support Activity (MCTSSA) including
electronics engineers, radio operators and technical supportofficers, perform further tests at the Marine Corps Base CampPendleton in California.
“The purpose of the test is to evaluate the MUOSwaveform in a recent version upgrade,” said Capt. MichaelBillings, Technical Support Officer supporting MCTSSA’sProgram Engineering Support Group. “We are also testingthe new MUOS antennas and diplexers needed to use theMUOS waveform.”
During the test, MCTSSA assessed the RT-1949 tacticalradio’s ability to use the MUOS waveform for voice and datacommunication while on-the-move and at stationary positions.
“This new satellite-based communications system willbring a vast amount of new capability to the Marine Corps,such as improved communications capacity that is moresecure and reliable,” said Maj. James Topping, PESG DeputyDirector. “The fact that this new system is interoperable withexisting radios makes it more flexible to the user.”
MUOS comprises five GEO satellites developed by Lockheed Martin
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