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Essential Features When Buying and Selling New Systems in the 21st Century
Don McBarnet, Staff Writer
As military historian Michael Howard has observed, sound procurement decision
making requires a “triangular dialogue between ... operational requirements,
technological feasibility and fi nancial capability.” 18
COMMUNICATIONS EQUIPMENT, like much other military equipment, continues to pass through a rapid technological revolution, where the operation of Moore’s Law, that sees the number of integrated circuits double approximately every two years, works as a powerful force for continuing upgrades to retain technological advantage. However, despite the demands for ever better software, there are high practical hurdles for providers of military intercom systems or other communication equipment to overcome.
Protecting the Military User of Communication Equipment The battlefi eld during combat is a noisy place, but for dismounted or mounted infantry the noise levels are much higher because of the persistent noise levels of vehicles which are designed for maneuverability or force protection or other factors, not a silent ride. Military vehicles can be extremely noisy working environments and noise impairs vehicle crews in various ways, for instance, through its effect on speech intelligibility and the audibility of other useful sounds. Exposure to high noise levels may, in the long run, also cause an irreversible hearing loss. An overview of interior noise levels in different types of military vehicles and aircraft shows that (extremely) high noise levels are prolific throughout the armed forces of NATO. 19 During combat, crew members in military vehicles need to be able to communicate effectively and swiftly. Radio channels and intercommunication systems are relied upon to quickly and effi ciently exchange information, between crewmembers and with the outside world. If speech intelligibility becomes too low, dangerous situations may arise. In coalition warfare where English may not the fi rst language of all soldiers, clear communication becomes an even higher priority. So fi rst class intercom systems are essential.
The Marines Raise Critical Issues for Communications Capability in Military Operations in Urban Terrain (MOUT)
“I’ll be honest with you. We haven’t solved the problems associated with urban combat. That’s a bloody one; it’s hard to solve. If it were easy we’d probably already have done it. We’re going to keep working it.” Major Lee G. Offen
Military operations in an urban terrain (MOUT) are extremely challenging especially for clear communication between dismounted members of a patrol and their vehicles. Unless this problem is overcome, the US armed forces will be at parity or even at a disadvantage in a complex 21st century urban battlefi eld. Researchers in the Marines identify 36 critical capabilities on their communications wish list, and three of these are highly relevant to this discussion: enhanced situational awareness for individuals/ leaders in MOUT – improved squad radio – effective in MOUT; precise position location inside buildings; and a combat ID system – effective in buildings. 20 And as Major Lee G. Offen describes it, the critical need is for a radio that works for MOUT. “We’re going to have to come up with a soldier intercom that can be tailored to the
available parts of the electromagnetic spectrum wherever soldiers or Marines are deployed. It also has to be powerful enough for people to communicate between buildings where there’s no line of sight, but not so powerful that they become a target as a result of their own transmissions.”
The Salience of Stryker The light workhorse vehicle of the US Army is the Stryker. The Stryker, built by General Dynamics, is designed to carry soldiers, commanders and special missions. The Stryker is deployed by the Army where its 8-wheel design allows for easy maneuverability in open terrain, close combat and urban environments. But where its aging design needs updating, this has to be done within important parameters. The procuring agencies want compatibility with legacy hardware, and software architecture, an effective bridge between classifi ed to unclassifi ed communications and low SWAP (Space, Weight, and Power).
The Certifi cation Process News systems produced by contractors for approval by the Department of Defense have to go through an emerging process of
certification. To obtain JTRS certification, a tactical device must fulfi ll criteria from the Joint Program Executive Offi ce Joint Tactical Radio System (JPEO JTRS). There are seven separate requirements, including testing or certifi cations for waveform conformance and Joint Interoperability Test Center interoperability, National Security Agency information security, programmable cryptography, National Telecommunications and Information Administration spectrum compliance and Software Communications Architecture compliance. Once a product is compliant with these standards, it has a greater chance of being accepted. The Harris Corporation Falcon III AN/PRC-117G Radio achieved “JTRS-Certifi ed” Status and therefore saw it better able to compete for contracts.
The Ubiquitous SINCGARS (Single Channel Ground and Airborne Radio System) SINCGARS is a Combat Net Radio (CNR) currently used by U.S. and allied military forces. More than 500,000 SINCGARS have been purchased. The radios, which handle voice and data communications, are designed to be reliable, secure and easily maintained. Vehiclemount, backpack, airborne, and handheld form factors are available. SINCGARS uses 25 kHz channels in the VHF FM band; from 30 to 87.975 MHz It has single-frequency and frequency hopping modes. The frequencyhopping mode hops111 times a second. SINCGARS was expected to be replaced by the JTRS, but this was cancelled in 2011. There have been reports online that it performed very badly in the heat of the New Mexico desert, as well as major cost overrun problems. When the Army started evaluating the JTRS at White Sands Missile Range, N.M. the 207-pound refrigerator-size Ground Mobile Radio that Boeing developed lacked refrigeration and had a diffi cult time withstanding desert heat. 21
News systems produced by contractors for approval by the Department of Defense have to go through an emerging process of certifi cation. To obtain JTRS certifi cation, a tactical device must fulfi ll criteria from the Joint Program Executive Offi ce Joint Tactical Radio System (JPEO JTRS)
