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Developing the Next Generation of C4i Communications Equipment
James Butler, Staff Writer
Why the next generation of C4i enabled communications systems are becoming so important to militaries around the world.
TOUGH ECONOMIC times force companies and organisations of all sizes to make important decisions and focus on what is truly important to their strategy. This is the challenge facing most of the world’s largest military powers. Since the economic crisis of 2008, money has been tight – in Europe and the US, budgets have been in decline forcing the military to be more sparing in what it buys. At the same time, it still needs to invest in creating a modern, effective military machine capable of coping with the new demands of global security.
C4i has become one of the core focuses of military leaders. Recent fi gures from Forecast International suggest the C4i market could grow from $8.186bn in 2016 to $8.678bn in 2017 8 . Afterwards, the market is likely to undergo a slight decline up to 2025, attributable in part, to a number of large scale projects being completed. Any growth the market does experience in coming years will be all the more notable given the wider backdrop of austerity in which it is working. For the most part, countries in the Western NATO alliance are cutting back on military spending. The UK is one of the few still publically committed to the goal of spending 2% of GDP on the military. Even so, its armed forces have been undergoing a prolonged period of contraction. The 2015 budget announced cuts of 1.5% to overall military spending, much of which could be borne by equipment manufacturers 9 . Although the UK has now promised to maintain its NATO commitment of spending 2% of GDP on defence, uncertainty remains over what form funding will take. Procurement divisions remain highly cautious. In the US the situation is, if anything, even tighter. In 2015, Congress reached a deal to strike $5billion 10 from the defence budget.
A Revolution in Communication Despite all this, investment in C4i continues. In 2012, the Royal Thai Airforce became the largest operational IP network communication system in the world. It consists of 20 operational sites scattered across the country, all of which are linked via an IP network to provide a system of systems solution. It allows every site in the country to work together in a single, large system. In the UK, the Bowman Communications system provides integrated digital voice and data technology to give secure communications over radio, telecom and tactical internet systems. This represents a step change over the previous Clansman family of radios in terms of security, reliability and resilience against electronic attack.
However, the market is moving rapidly. No sooner do IP solutions appear on the scene than they are being upgraded and replaced. In 2015, for example, the MOD invited academics and businesses to help them fi nd an upgrade for the Bowman. Increasing numbers of armies are moving from IP version 4 to IP version 6 11 to bring the latest technology to bear on their systems.
The fi rst wave of IP communications systems may have represented a step up from previous offerings, but they do have signifi cant shortcomings. New technology is also coming online which offers superior performance. The most notable is the challenge of adapting new technology to the needs of the modern army. The military holds onto legacy equipment, which means new products require further interfacing to ensure compatibility with existing equipment and wavelengths as well as other technologies. Current products coming to market, therefore, are moving towards open standards which can connect with a range of equipment.
An example of what the future holds can be seen with the IMP intercom system recently supplied by Savox to a customer in the Middle East. It is a lightweight, compact, digital communications platform which can support radio and data transmissions within one system across a range of land based vehicles and some maritime vessels. Each individual soldier wears a personal communications unit providing full connectivity into the IMP network. This allows instant communications both inside and outside the vehicle.
Major Demands The solution epitomises the major demands of any current system offering: • Resilience: All systems must be resilient to battle damage. A traditional package reliant on a master control system will be vulnerable if that control system is damaged or destroyed. Giving soldiers their own personalised control unit means they continue to have access to the network even if others are taken out. • Small Footprint: As units become more mobile, the same technological capabilities (or
better) within a smaller package are increasingly being looked for. New products are now coming to market which offer this function. • Snug fi t: The ability to fi t tightly into different vehicles will be important in maintaining effectiveness across a range of systems. • Flexibility: The system has been designed to interlink with a range of wavelength types and different communications technologies, allowing it to be incorporated into existing systems. The success of systems such as this has opened up a range of new options for militaries. It has allowed faster communications between command and soldiers on the ground providing quicker, better decisions. It offers connectivity across the full range of vehicles, and helps a unit as a whole become more flexible and mobile. It is a technology borne out of the ingenuity of smaller companies who offer the adaptability and nimbleness to react to the demands of their clients on a timelier basis. It is this approach which could help the military fi nally solve the problem of securing the perfect radio system.
