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Making Tactical Communications Fighting Fit for the 21st Century
Jo Roth, Staff Writer
How the military’s long search for a communications system suitable for modern military needs is fi nally coming to an end.
IN 2010, with relatively little fanfare, the US Government quietly dropped the bulk of its much vaunted Joint Tactical Radio Systems (JTRS) project. Despite billions having been spent over the years, the results had been bitterly disappointing leading some to ask whether the military would ever manage to develop a tactical communications capability. Now, though, fresh technology is coming to market, which, fi nally, is starting to realise the revolutionary improvements the army needs.
Past Failures The failure of the JTRS was a major blow. Nicknamed appropriately Jitters, the aim was to replace the army’s existing radio capabilities with software defi ned radios which could swiftly upload new frequencies instead of requiring multiple radio types embedded within military vehicles. The concept was sound, but the end product was disappointing. Costs overran. The program managed to burn through $6billion 4 without producing much in the way of workable hardware. That which it did produce was poor and the army had to spend $11 billion 5 on out-of-date radio systems, just to be ready for the Iraq and Afghan wars.
It has been far from an isolated incident. Indeed, a look at the history of US development in this area has been one of consistent failure.
A study by Harvard Business School found that “major defense programs still require more than 15 years to deliver less capability than planned, often at two to three times the planned cost.” 6 A 2010 report noted that the army spends more than a billion dollars annually on projects which are ultimately cancelled .
Part of the difficulty has been the immense technical challenges involved. Creating a large and secure data network is a major challenge. Maintaining wireless communication in the many
different hostile environments that armed forces may encounter is also a major undertaking. For example, in an urban environment, transmission signals can easily be blocked or interrupted by buildings. Mountainous terrain can also block radio signals.
Compatibility Issues Furthermore, compatibility is a major challenge. Any unit would have to be suitable to a range of different functions. This can be challenging as the size and design of radios often depends on the tasks they will be undertaking. For example, a radio for broadcasting to a distant headquarters will have to be large enough to accommodate a large antenna. This may compromise storage and mobility. The task for fi nding one system suitable for all eventualities is daunting.
It is, though, a goal the military is determined to realise – it has to. The consequences of inadequate equipment can be severe. In 2010, soldiers from US Army Taskforce Rock found themselves ambushed by Taliban fi ghters as they drove into Afghanistan’s Chowkay Valley. Their mission was to support a reconstruction team as it met with local village leaders, but they were unable to move from their position.
The problem was their radios. They had several different units for different tasks; for talking with the reconstruction team they had short range models while for headquarters 25 miles away they had longer range models and a back-up satellite radio in case the mountains blocked their transmissions. Another air force controller, meanwhile, carried his own radio to talk with jet fighters overhead and yet another radio downloaded video from the aircraft overhead. What’s more, some only worked while soldiers were stationary and others were too cumbersome to operate on the move!
SAVOX IMP OFFERS A LIGHTWEIGHT ETHERNET BASED DIGITAL SOLUTION WHERE THE MAN IS THE COMMUNICATION INTERFACE. CONFIGURABLE AND SCALABLE THE SYSTEM CAN BE CONFIGURED FOR SMALL CREWS ON RIBS, OR INSTALLED IN A MULTI-DECK ARCHITECTURE ABOARD LARGE VESSELS.
The Chowkay Valley incident, and others like it, reveals the limitations of many traditional tactical communications tools. Increasingly the equipment at forces’ disposal appears inadequate for the demands of modern warfare. These demands are evolving rapidly. The enemy is changing – more often than not it is no longer a case of state versus state. Instead the enemy is likely to be a small terrorist cell, dangerous and elusive. The nature of warfare is changing – units are likely to travel further and over larger distances. The move towards air warfare as opposed to boots on the ground intervention also increases the need for multiple fi ghting forces including air crew, navy, command centres and any ground personnel to have access to the same information at the touch of a button.
The military is having some success in delivering. Recent years have seen VoIP based technologies help armies move towards integrated, secure and resilient communications systems capable of delivering C4i capabilities. Different vehicles and units can be connected seamlessly by the same single communications. Commanders receive better information faster, which also allows them to issue more effective orders more quickly.
Much of this has been made possible by adopting the characteristics of small and medium sized businesses (SMEs). By doing so, the military can leverage the huge reserve of technological innovation and talent which exists within the wider commercial marketplace and transform that for use on the battlefi eld. Doing so is no mean feat. Units will need to be packaged within rugged casings capable of withstanding the worst that the hostile combat environment can throw at it. Systems’ architecture needs to be more resilient to battle damage and be capable of continuing to function even when equipment has been compromised. Data networks will be crucial in facilitating a more connected and mobile communications architecture, but all these will be vulnerable to hacking attacks. Creating networks which are entirely secure is crucial to the success of the entire system.
The challenges are severe, and they have not been fully overcome by any means. However, technology is coming to market which is turning the dream of a modern communications network into a reality.
