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
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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