Handheld radios provide the foundation on which tactical interconnected Internet networks are based
The Combat Command Network (RAS) radio has become the dismounted user 's workhorse since the migration of tactical mobile radios from vehicles to humans. When operating in platoons, squads, crews and fire brigades, everywhere RAS provide feedback with higher command and neighboring units using very high frequencies (VHF), as well as over-the-horizon communication channels through the use of high frequency (HF) and military satellite communications MILSATCOM …
The need for RAS, which makes it possible to digitize military formations, remains high and is constantly growing. When the first Brigade Combat Groups equipped with STRYKER APCs were deployed to Iraq in 2003, they had a total of 1,200 SINCGARS radios, 78 PRC-150HF and 26 PSC-5C radios in addition to other radios. Since then, the need for additional communications in these and other units has also increased dramatically. The US Marine Corps, for example, has announced plans to increase the number of handheld radios alone at battalion level to 25 PRC-117F (VRC-103 variant to 20) and 33 PRC-150HF.
Handheld radios have transmission ranges and capabilities that far exceed those of smaller handheld radios. Although the first standard devices were large, heavy and cumbersome, nevertheless, they were the first "magic wand" for any military man looking for how to improve the capabilities of C4I (command, control, communications, computers and intelligence - command, control, communications, information gathering and computers) of their dismounted forces.
Frequency selection
It may be useful from this point of view to briefly recall that very high frequency (VHF) is the radio frequency range 30-300 MHz. Frequencies immediately below VHF are designated high frequency (HF), and the next higher altitudes are ultra high frequencies (UHF) (300-3000 MHz band). Typically the VHF band is used for FM broadcasting, television broadcasting, ground mobile stations, maritime communications, air traffic control and air navigation systems (in particular omnidirectional beacons). The HF band is very popular among radio operators, its advantage is manifested when using direct long-range (often intercontinental) communication systems.
On the portable level, VHF still dominates. This range provides a communication range of about 8 km between two soldiers on patrol. But it is still determined by the curvature of the earth's surface; if each soldier lies on the ground, the range will drop. Such a modest range is good for communication systems within and between platoons, when there is no need to raise the altitude to solve emerging problems. Good signal transmission at these frequencies and wide channel capabilities also increase efficiency, and the emergence of strong encryption techniques has forced the military to adopt VHF.
In the future, the creation of a mobile ad-hoc network, especially in the UHF band, where data throughput is higher, threatens the dominant position of VHF at lower levels, as it combines extended range and superior transmission performance in an interference-filled space. Despite this, the small number of VHF radios deployed and the limited frequencies available to the military today mean that this class of radios will remain in place for many applications.
What follows is a brief introduction to some of the currently available models in different classes.
Very high frequencies (VHF)
Kongsberg's MRR (Multi-Role Radio) was originally developed for its home market, but sales expanded outside Germany; Hungary chose it back in 2002 and became the first foreign buyer, followed by other countries around the world. This was particularly the case when this radio was not made in America and thus did not fall under the US international arms trade regulations, which is a positive benefit for countries wishing to get the capabilities of modern digital VHF radios.
The MRR operates in the 30-88 MHz range on 2320 channels and has an output power of up to 5 watts. Protective electronic measures include proprietary fixed frequency NBDS (Narrow Band Direct Sequence) broadband, auto-routing multi-hop packet transmission and multipath integration. The MRR's signal propagation is improved by using NBDS technology, which allows reception in very noisy environments. The communications are routed using packet radio at 19.2 Kbps with forward error correction (FEC) in synchronous and asynchronous modes. Norway opted for an upgrade from 16CVSD to 2.4Kbps with MELP speech coding.
In FM mode, MRR is compatible with PRC-77 radio and NATO STANAG 4204 for backward compatibility. For integration with zone communications, a mobile connection to the SCRA (Single Channel Access Radio System) network can be established using systems using the military-modified enhanced X.25 protocol, although the company is currently migrating to IP-based protocols.
The first ITT SINCGARS (Single-Channel Ground-Air Radio System) radios were delivered in 1987 to a total of 33 countries. ITT recently announced that it has delivered its 350,000th radio station, while production is ongoing, increasing from 1,000 in February 2005 to 6,000 monthly to meet the needs of the United States. The USA is also purchasing a new modified SINCGARS as a standard model in order to install the new SIDEHAT add-on module. The first 31,000 radios capable of receiving the SIDEHAT module were ordered in October 2006 under a $ 240 million contract.
The newest American radio in the family is the Advanced Lightweight SINCGARS SIP (Advanced Lightweight SINCGARS SIP) or ASIP radio. It operates in the 30-88 MHz band and weighs 3.6 kg, offering anti-jamming communications and standard data mode up to 9.6 Kb / s (16 Kb / s enhanced mode). The radio is equipped with a BA5590 battery with a 33 hour operating time, it is also equipped with a wired connector connected to the display of the Control Unit of this radio.
ITT has begun a series of enhancements to SINCGARS, including the addition of a 12-channel SAASM embedded GPS card to non-BOWMAN radios, and the use of geolocation features as a combat identification tool. Tadiran's Tall-Tech US subsidiary provides support for SINCGARS for the US Army, receiving more than half of the $ 125 million contract first awarded in 2010.
The standard handheld radio in the BOWMAN family is the AN / PRC-355 Advanced Data Radio + (ADR +). It weighs 3.4 kg with battery and measures 185x88x234mm and complies with British DEF STAN 00-35 and DEF STAN 59-41 environmental and EMI / EMC standards respectively. The system also uses Rockwell Collins UK SAASM GPS chips to provide anti-jamming geolocation. In 16-watt dismounted mode, the PRC-355 can be converted to a local voice alarm system by adding a second battery pack and an elevated antenna.
The UK is committed to interoperability with the United States encrypted frequency hopping standards, is working towards creating a waveform for Joint Tactical Radio System (JTRS) radios and may also implement STANG 4204.
The BOWMAN PRC-354 is a subportable, handheld plus handheld radio designed for squad and fire group commanders. The radio station with a battery weighs 1, 2 kg and measures 44x94x194 mm. Like the ADR +, the PRC-354 operates over a temperature range of -40 ° C to +71 ° C. Britain is currently mulling options for upgrading the PRC-354 as part of a redesign program to improve ergonomics.
The BOWMAN program also created the CENTAUR product line, for which the components of the basic systems from ITT were taken and additional capabilities were added, for example, the Battle Management System and the THESEUS communications control system from BAE Systems in order to produce an autonomous tactical communication system for export.
CENTAUR is ITT's second family of radios for export. The earlier Advanced Tactical Communications System (ATCS), released in 1996, was also widely marketed. It is a US export version of the SINCGARS ASIP with six frequency hopping presets and six six channel presets. A radio station weighing 3.6 kg, in which a standard BA-5590 battery is installed, also has a relay mode for automatic switching between voice and data.
ITT's BOWMAN plant in Basingstoke is responsible for the production of CENTAUR and ATCS class radios.
The CNR9000 High Data Rate from Tadiran Communications in the 30-108 MHz band is the latest addition to the company's VHF range. Establish a data network using the TDMA standard (Time Division Multiple Access) with a frequency hopping waveform and secure data transmission characteristics of up to 115 Kb / s with a vocoder operating at a rate of 2, 4– 4.8 Kb / s. The Ethernet interface allows external management of the router functionality, network connection, and SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol) management. The CNR-900 features wireless key remapping and zeroing with Windows-based management tools for frequencies, network management and frequency allocation. Cryptography can be customized for the user using SCIP with full on-line encryption with a high level of security.
Terma offers the CNR-9000 under the designation RT8. Solutions have been formulated and are being implemented to meet the need for VHF radios to replace the Danish VRM-5080, this solution determines the number of approximately 3000-5000 radios.
Thales and the Romanian company Elprof continue to offer Racal's former PANTHER V-EDR radio, which operates in the 30-108 MHz band. It is described by the company as having the smallest portable EPM transceiver (electronically shielded). All PANTHER modes are hopping at 1000 hops per second using 256-channel hopping in eight guaranteed orthogonal networks plus a free channel seek mode. The radio has eight programmable networks. Unmodulated data transmission goes at 115 Kb / s over RS232 with 16 Kb / s asynchronous and synchronous data down to 9.6 Kb / s with FEC (Forward Error Correction). Each network has custom services allowing Selective Calling and Multiple Concurrent Access Radio Barring up to 100 Selective FHS calls per network (frequency hopping call). The radio can be remotely controlled up to 4 km using a two-wire connection. It weighs 5, 9 kg with a battery that provides 32 hours of operation, has a built-in GPS module and is backward compatible with the earlier JAGUAR radio.
The most recent member of the Thales PR4G family is known as PR4G VS4-IP in France or F @ STNET for export. The radio operates at frequencies of 30–88 MHz and weighs 5 kg with a battery that provides 24 hours of operation; it has a built-in GPS system and high electronic noise immunity protection at over 300 hops per second. The radio transmits voice data at 64 Kb / s, supporting STANAGS 4479, 1200, 2400, 4198 and 4591. The special IP protocol is the basis of the Tactical Internet of this radio and F @ STNET also supports simultaneous voice and data (SIVID). The RF signal power is up to 10 watts in dismounted mode.
PR4F / F @ STNET has been sold to 37 countries in the amount of 125,000 units. Poland is the most recent buyer, PR4G is produced by the Polish company Radmor. In 2006, the company switched to production of F @ STNET for local customers, and its portable version, designated RCC9211, was purchased for deployment in Afghanistan. Spain is another country that recently selected F @ STNET, to be produced by Amper Programas.
Through the acquisition of Titan, L-3 now offers the PRC2100V series of tactical radios with up to 10W transmit power in the 30-88 MHz range, FM, simplex and half-duplex voice transmission, 16Kbps data throughput, with an output interface RS232 and internal GPS.
The Harris FALCON II RF5800V-MP radio operates in the 30-108 MHz range. The encryption of this radio is based on the CITADEL ASIC protocol, which provides 128-bit digital data and voice encryption in conjunction with the patented QUICKLOOK frequency hopping protocol. Users can switch between the standard 16Kbps speed when using a modulated modem; when the high-speed FSK modem is working, the speed increases to 64 Kb / s. Without batteries, the radio weighs 3.4 kg.
Radio station PRC-117G
A soldier from the British Army communications division works with a BOWMAN 325 HF portable radio station at a British base in Afghanistan. British forces in Afghanistan make extensive use of new BOWMAN radio station
High frequency
The emergence of high-capacity communication lines and the complexity of their establishment of a communication channel have become the reason for the interest of the military in high frequencies (HF). Currently, the need for over-the-horizon communications at the patrol level and similar tasks have made the use of HF mandatory, and using the Automatic Link Establishment (ALE) mode. ALE is now well established and guarantees easy connectivity for non-specialists, although the need for frequency hopping, secure ECCM (Anti-Electronic Countermeasures) communications and the limitation of available 1.5-30 MHz frequencies mean that as a carrier, its bandwidth is limited.
While HF operation remains an area of widespread use for portable radios in a dismounted role, the power requirements and physical size of RF filters have allowed this range to be used in handheld applications. The first handheld HF 5W Thales TRC374 radio, which operated at 11-15 MHz at 3 km in the jungle, was an innovation that has not been repeated.
The Thales Systemes 3000 or TRC 3700 HF radio is described by the manufacturer as programmable (SDR - Software-Defined Radio). The system weighing 3, 7 kg operates in the range of 1.5-30 MHz in 100 Hz steps and with an output power of up to 20 W. The radio is designed to seamlessly connect to VHF-PR4G messaging networks using IP routers; the radio station is part of the French program Melchior.
Codan has long been a supplier of police, peacekeepers and airborne relief services, and is now beginning to aggressively invade the military market with its 2110M model operating in the 1.6-30 MHz bands. More than just a green walkie-talkie, this radio offers anti-jamming frequency hopping and voice encryption over 600 channels across 20 broadcast networks. The radio is compliant with MIL-STD-188-141B ALE and FED-STD-1045 ALE standards and can also use Codan's advanced ALE (CALM - Codan Automatic Link Management). The radio has a built-in GPS receiver and meets the requirements of the MIL-STD-810F standard for use in harsh environments, including immersion in one meter of water. It weighs only 2.6 kg and has a rechargeable battery that allows you to work for 50 hours. Considering the fact that HF users are often on long patrols or away from the main troops, it also has an emergency call button that transmits accurate GSP coordinates.
Q-Mac is another HF handheld radio manufacturer offering the HF-90M Ultralight, 2-30 MHz, 50W, 255 programmable channels in a portable version weighing just 4kg for the MX9000 ultra-light bag or 8kg for the standard version HF-90M, having small dimensions 112x47x220 mm. The data functionality is controlled by an external field data terminal QM9080 FDT (Field Data Terminal), in which a GPS device is optionally installed. The radio performs encryption at five hops per second.
The walkie-talkie from Barrett's 2040 HF rounds out the Australian top three. For security, Barrett offers five hops per second and a ten-bit reconfigurable encryption key, it has the ability to set up to 500 programmable channels with secure voice transmission through a narrowband voice encryption device. The 2040 radio weighs 6.4 kg including a 1.2 kg battery.
Syntonics has developed the HTA SINCGARS antenna, which is a low profile antenna that helps protect military communications from enemy snipers.
The VS4-IP F @ STNET radio is a member of the Thales PR4G family
Kongsberg MH300 is a handheld version of the MRR (Multi-Role Radio) series
Harris remains superior in HF with its FALCON II line. The American standard AN / PRC-150 (C) was approved by the NATO Military Committee in mid-2006 and is widely used in Afghanistan as an over-the-horizon patrol communications. 150 (C) provides NSA approved Type 1 encryption. It is a classified voice and data encryption that supports the scope of standard extended encryption. Also included in the cryptographic package is CITADEL's proprietary encryption, which is also part of the RF5800H-MP FALCON II export package, which allows PRC-150 (C) users to work with existing widespread RF5800H-MPs, such as the Partnership for Peace exercise. The radio station supports high-speed data transmission up to 9.6 Kb / s and allows integration with the messaging mode through its software compatible with STANAG 5066; the radio also uses the STANAG 4358 3G ALE standard.
A feature of the AN / PRC-150 (C), which incorporates the BOWMAN experience, is the so-called “desperate attempt” of voice data transmission, allowing digital voice to pass through a very noisy environment for transmission at almost 75 bps. The radio is capable of maintaining secure, interference-free communications using only the 600 bps MELP vocoder. Due to the fact that the radio transits the lower VHF band, it can also offer safe FSK voice transmission using CVSD (Variable Slope Delta Modulation) at 16Kbps in VHF bands, linking into standard VHF combat radios.
The US quickly adopted AN / PRC-150 (C) as an alternative and complement to MILSATCOM throughout the army in connection with the ongoing operations in Afghanistan and Iraq; this standard has previously been largely limited to special operations forces and medical services. The US Department of Defense has awarded Harris a $ 104 million contract to produce AN / PRC-150 (C) radios for the US Army, the first phase of a five-year contract with a potential value of $ 422 million.
The export RF5800H-MP has the same dimensions as the PRC-150 (C); a truly American radio station based on the successful export versions of 1, 5 and 20 watts. Pakistan signed a second $ 76 million contract for FALCON II HF radio, following a $ 68 million order back in 2005.
Harris also manufactures the BOWMAN HF handheld transceiver under the designation PRC-325 for the British Army and the MPR9600 for export. The radio station differs from the RF5800H-MP and AN / PRC-150 (C) models by skipping 30-60 MHz VHF frequencies and using only its own PRITCHELL encryption, the absence of CITADEL auxiliary encryption for the English version, and also has a slightly lower weight of 4.5 kg. The radio is controlled by a new removable remote control unit, text messages can be sent to other radios through this unit.
Since 2006, all export FALCON II HF products are now manufactured by Harris UK; the production of BOWMAN continues. The first buyers were the Spanish Armed Forces.
Datron's Tactical Handheld PRC4100H HF is a programmable HF radio. A feature of the PRC4100 family is that the frequency range is determined by an additional module installed on the left side of the radio station, which allows the PRC4100 main unit to switch between multi-band additional modules VHF, HF and HF / VHF in accordance with the requirements of the combat mission. The PRC4100M 1.5-30 MHz HF version weighs 4.65 kg with a BA-5590 battery and is MIL-STD-81 OF compliant and supports high-frequency data transmission up to 9.6 Kb / s. The radio uses the MIL-STD-188-141B standard for ALE, it also has a built-in GPS.
L-3 also offers the PRC3150 HF radio station with frequencies of 1.6-30 MHz, weighing 3.4 kg without battery, having eight specific power levels from 5 to 20 watts.
Telefunken RACOM manufactures the upgraded HRM 7000 radio station; the company describes it as programmable, supporting the HF communication protocols - HRS 7000, MAHRS, STANAG 5066, 4285, 4539, 45438 and MIL-STD-188-110A with future software upgrades. The company also showed an HF surveillance radar using an 8Kbps link, which is connected to a video camera using new signal compression algorithms from ED Research.
The Tadiran HF6000 High Data Rate 1, 5-30 MHz or PRC-6020 transceiver is the successor to earlier radio stations in the product line, it has a data transfer rate of up to 9, 6 Kb / s. It is compatible with STANAG 4285 and Mil-STD-188-110 standards and has the option of compatibility with STANAG 5066. In hopping mode, the speed drops to 4.8 Kb / s only in MFSK (multilevel-frequency shift keying) mode … The radio station can program up to 100 preformatted messages and up to 900 coded messages and has a mass with a battery of 3, 9 kg.
In South Africa, Saab Grintek launches the TR2000 and the newer TR2400 HF radios; both are part of the PHOENIX family with 25W output power. The TR2400 contains standard NATO protocols such as STANAG 5066 and MIL-STD-141ALE, and offers a Quick ALE solution that increases ALE speed by 60% over the 141A standard. The radio vocoder usually runs at 2.4 kbps, then drops to 800 bps in hop mode in poor data transmission conditions.
Thales AN / PRC-148 MBITR is the most popular multi-band portable radio
BAE Systems is a key partner in the JTRS GMR and HMS radio programs and works closely with Boeing
Marine platoon leader communicates with his forces while on foot patrol
Private performing radio check during a landing raid in Iraq
Tadiran CNR-9000
Multiband Programmable Radio (SDR)
A number of countries run their national Software Defined Radio (SDR) programs, which are dominated by handheld versions. Most of them are still far from completion, which allows regular multi-band radio stations to make up for the shortage. Providing multiple waveforms over a wide frequency range on a single platform is a weight-saving measure as it combines the capabilities of multiple dedicated radios into a single platform. Initially limited to special forces and narrow missions (for example, an advanced aircraft controller), these radios have now been transferred to conventional troops and their cost has dropped.
The AN / PRC-148 radio station is deservedly known as the best selling multi-band handheld radio station. Thales also developed the MA7035 MBITR Wearable System, an add-on solution that converts the 5W MBITR power output into 20W, effectively becoming a wearable portable system. The MBITR is included in the backpack, and the radio has direct amplifier control, allowing frequency hopping at higher power levels. Additional antennas are also provided to make better use of excess power. The whole system weighs 7.25 kg.
The Programmable Radios of the MR3000 family from Rohde and Schwarz provide frequency coverage of 1.5 MHz to 512 MHz. These are two models HF / VHF MR3000H and VHF / UHF MR3000U for HF, VHF and military UHF bands. Both radios share a common supply chain and the same detachable interface. The HF / VHF MR3000H has a transmission range of 1.5 MHz to 108 MHz, and at 100 kHz intervals it increases from 1.5 MHz to 512 MHz. HF antenna automatically tunes and uses MIL-STD-188-141B for ALE; for basic systems, a flexible whip HF antenna with a height of 2.4 meters is used; for the VHF band, either a rack-mount or 1.5-meter flexible antenna is used in a portable role. The channel spacing is 1 kHz for HF, and for VHF / FM there are 5 spacing options from 5 kHz to 25 kHz. There are up to 100 preset frequencies available, 10 of which are user-controllable in the field using a rotary switch. The transmission power is between 1W and 10W. The data transfer rate when using STANAG 4285 in the HF range is 3.6 Kb / s, when using STANAG 4539 - 12.8 Kb / s in VHF, in its patented mode it can be raised to 64 Kb / s. All three are capable of combining with radios in a fast data transfer mode. Rohde and Schwarz offers proprietary hopping options, electronic security alternatives for fast data transmission from SECOM-H for HF and SECOM-V for VHF, while encryption is provided by an embedded voice and data solution.
The MR3000U has nearly the same performance as the "H" variant, with a transmission range of 25-512 MHz using SECOS waveforms and SECOM encryption, but it has also been tested with NATO's HaveQuick 1 and 2 and SATURN in ground-to-air mode. …
MR3000 Portable Radio with Detachable Front Panel
Programmable radio station of the Turkish company Aselsan. The company has yet to make a clear decision on the portable radio, although its preliminary decision is based on the VRC-9661 30-512 MHz VHF / UHF, the first radios were delivered in 2010. The 10W / 50W amplified radio is currently intended to be installed in vehicles, but Aselsan intends to look to a solution where the two 9661 portable radios can be used outside the vehicle. This approach to programming radio stations allows Turkey and other potential users to continue using the stock PRC-9600, a licensed copy of GEC-Marconi's SCIMITAR.
The new 9661 family will use the new ANFH (Advanced Networking Frequency Hopping) waveform. ANFH offers 2.4Kbps MELP, voice coding, asynchronous (9.6Kbps) and synchronous (16Kbps) half-duplex encrypted data transmission. Other communication protocols include the VRC / PRC-9600 VHF tactical radio family, ground-to-air protocols, VHF / UHF protocols, and the TASMUS packet broadband radio family.
Selex Communications' CNR2000 family is a new line of HF / VHF (1.6 MHz – 59.9750 MHz) multi-band, multipurpose, multifunctional radio transceivers built into a single package of features to address a variety of operational tasks on the battlefield. Operation in the extended frequency range 1, 6 MHz-59, 9750 MHz allows for short / medium / long-range radio communication via line-of-sight, extended line-of-sight and out-of-line of sight using tactical radio stations in the HF and VHF bands. The open, programmable architecture of the CNR2000 family is expandable and customizable and can be progressed towards future configurations of tactical radios for the 21st century, in line with the requirement to fully integrate lower echelon field devices into the Operations Management System.
The CNR2000 equipment has built-in capabilities to operate as components within radio networks and as components of radio communications, coordinating with wired communications, providing situational awareness using GPS positioning data; Combat Net Radio Access (CNRA) services, such as directed calls between CNR2000 users and connection to external tactical and infrastructure networks. Protection against interference can be ensured by the patented TRANSEC / COMSEC circuit in the form of an internal short-wave electronic protection module.
The CNR2000 family includes a portable radio (SRT-178 / M 25W HF / SSB - VHF / FM 10W) as well as portable stationary and semi-stationary models. The main task of the SRT-178 / M is to operate as a combat network radio station in wireless voice / data networks in the forward area between group members at different levels.
Another player in the multi-band market is the 1.5-108 MHz TTR-1210M Multi-Band Portable Radio from L-3 Titan Group which combines HF, VHF and built-in GPS, it has a power of 20 W, weighs only 3.6 kg with its rechargeable battery BA-5590. In HF mode, it offers several data signal waveforms including MIL-STD-110B, STANAG 4285, 4415 and 4529 with HF voice transmission provided by either LPC-10e, STANAG 4591, MELP or CVSD. Security is ensured by AES encryption and hopping up to 300 hops / s in VHF mode. The data transfer rate reaches 16 Kb / s in ECCM mode (anti-jamming measures) in the VHF range and 75-9.6 Kb / s in the HF range. Initial sales were in the domestic market, but the company has now expanded into the international market.
In the HF band, Harris has dominated the “multi-band” world for a while with the AN / PRC-117F family of radios available to the US and for export. The 20W radio covers the entire VHJF spectrum: 28-90 MHz VHF low frequencies, 90-225 MHz VHF high frequencies and the military UHF range at 225-512 MHz. The complete radio with two BA-5590 accumulators weighs 7, 2 kg. The radio is very often used to interoperate and establish communication with the upper echelons, it has several Type 1 encrypted waveforms for command operations on UHF SATCOM, SINCGARS ESIP, HAVEQUICK 1/2 and Harris proprietary waveforms under the designation HPW for satellite and in the line of sight (SATCOM and LOS) communications. The bandwidth is up to 64 Kb / s in line of sight. The radio can work with a variety of standards, including RS-232E, MIL-STD-188-114A or RS 422 in synchronous and asynchronous modes and supports ten DAMA (Demand Assigned Multiple Access) presets for UHF MILSATCOM communications.
This high-tech solution complements the more general exportable RF5800M-MP solution, which uses the same CITADEL bandwidth and encryption for voice and data at up to 64 Kbps plus an internal GPS receiver.
Raytheon's multi-band option is the AN / PSC-5D MBMMR (Multiband, Multimission Radio), which is well known to the US Special Operations Forces. It covers the range of 30-512 MHz and includes information encryption, 142 preset channels and memory for 250 encryption keys. The radio also has the option of using a single combined antenna across the entire spectrum. MBMMR supports a number of waveforms including SINCGARS, HAVE-QUICK 1 & 2, and UHF SATCOM. For UHF SATCOM it has a bandwidth of up to 16 Kb / s using DAMA and up to 76.8 Kb / s in other modes. The radio weighs 7.2 kg with two BA-5590 rechargeable batteries. Raytheon has also developed the SATCOM On The Move add-on package (mobile satellite communications.[An article on mobile satellite communications will be published soon]) for AN / PSC-5D MBMMR, consisting of a 75W power amplifier, additional filter and X-Wing flat panel antenna. The system can also work with AN / PRC-117F.
The CNR2000 family is a new line of multi-band, multifunctional tactical radio communications HF / VHF (1.6 MHz-59.9750 MHz) radio transceivers (transceivers) from Selex Communications, combining capabilities to perform various tasks on the battlefield in a single module. Operation in the frequency range 1, 6-59, 9750 MHz allows for short / medium / long-distance communication via LOS (Line Of Sight), ELOS (Extended Line Of Sight) and BLOS (Beyond Line Of Sight - out of line of sight) with tactical radios HF and VHF. The open system, programmable architecture of the CNR2000 family allows for expansion / customization to meet specific requirements and enables the onward evolution of future 21st century tactical radio configurations along with the requirement to fully integrate lower echelon field devices into the Operations Management System.
HMS JTRS handheld radio provides built-in communications capabilities for brigades and related soldier / platform applications
Harris' new RF300M-MP handheld radio was officially unveiled in October 2010. It operates in the 30 MHz-2 GHz band, has a built-in SIERRA II anti-jamming module with selective accessibility, it uses SINCGARS, HAVEQUICK II, VHF / UHF AM and FM, the proprietary HPW also used in AN / PRC-117, DAMA SATCOM, and also promising broadband communication protocols, including ANW2 (Advanced Networking Wideband Waveform) developed by Harris. Upon reaching 2 GHz, this will allow the radio to operate on the commercial L-band SATCOM satellite network, as well as create future communication protocols.
Although the Rockwell Collins / Thales FLEXNET ONE VHF / UHF SDR radio is programmable and has the same dimensions and power as the PR4G, it is a portable model only, but is compatible with the handheld and portable versions of the current PR4G family due to the PR4G waveforms and F @ STNET ECCM. In mobile mode, it supports a broadband network of 150 participants.
Although the FALCON II portable radio station uses elements of the JTRS HMS program, the implementation of the state program for its development continues. General Dynamics and partner Rockwell Collins recently delivered prototypes for evaluation testing. For JTRS radios, the Department of Defense has reduced its need for a two-channel handheld radio from 104,000 to nearly 16,900.
The radio will operate in the 2 MHz – 2.5 GHz range and will weigh less than 5.9 kg without battery; it will be hermetically sealed and will have an option with two batteries to increase the operating time. The radio will have a built-in secure SAASM GPS module, remote control and wireless key changing is available. Ultimately, the radio will provide 19 communication protocols: Wideband Networking Waveform, Mobile User Objective System, UHF DAMA, IBS, VHF protocols including AM PBX and SINCGARS, HF, SATURN, HaveQuick II, EPLRS, SINCGARS and SRW protocols across all three frequency bands … Two portable radios can be connected via Ethernet cable to create a four-channel solution; this will create a potential basis for replacing many of the JTRS mobile radios (formerly CLUSTER 1), which have also been significantly reduced in number.
Raytheon's AN / PSC-5D multi-band tactical satellite radio is designed to safely provide tactical radio communications
Output
High-power, long-range handheld radios provide the foundation upon which tactical interconnected networks (the Internet) are formed. Smaller radios are possible and affordable, but lack the power and functionality required for many scenarios. The large number of these typically single frequency radios remaining in service means that the investment required to acquire, install and operate more sophisticated solutions is limited. As a result, the situation when standard radios will work side by side with programmable models will persist for many years to come.
