Germany procures mobile digital radio system

EADS is to deliver 30 mobile digital radio systems, training equipment and accessories worth 55 million euros to the German military by the end of 2007.

The procurement project increases the command capabilities and security of soldiers when on missions. These systems will enable the military to ensure mobile voice and data communication for forces in a secure and fail-safe network at all tactical communication levels.

The mobile radio systems are based on the digital Tetrapol standard. This radio technology distinguishes itself by its high reliability and practical feasibility.

The US Patent and Trademark Office issued a patent to BAE Systems for technology the company developed to securely support information sharing among disparate networks and applications.

BAE Systems was granted US Patent Number 7 103 914, which covers the use of specific security controls within a general purpose operating system to enforce and manage information flows and interactions within a multi-level security model.

"Our primary goal with this technology was information security. We fully recognised that our customers needed a computing platform to be able to quickly share information without vulnerability or the possibility of data leakage," said Roger Yee, BAE Systems' GM for Information Assurance.

Boeing demonstrated communication capabilities between its Transformational Satellite Communications (TSAT) laser communications terminal and BAE Systems' Airborne Lasercom Risk Reduction Terminal (ALT), which included a telescope, optical bench assembly, and closed-loop pointing and tracking hardware.

The demonstration, presented to MILSATCOM Systems wing officials and members of the TSAT user community, used several optical waveforms to route TSAT communication signals through ALT at data rates of up to 10GB per second.

TSAT is a highly sophisticated communication satellite scheduled to begin US military service by 2014. It is designed to provide conventional communications services and laser communication capabilities to all branches of the military, including space and airborne platforms. The data capacity afforded by the Lasercom service will be extraordinary -- starting at 2.5GB per second, nearly the equivalent of 150 simultaneous high definition television channels. TSAT will open up new airborne mission possibilities in the areas of command and control, surveillance and reconnaissance.

Lockheed Martin recently accomplished a first for unmanned aerial systems (UAS), demonstrating that high-resolution, broad-area imaging from a miniaturised synthetic aperture radar (MiniSAR) could effectively be delivered by a UAS into the hands of tactical unit commanders, regardless of smoke, dust, heavy rain or night time conditions.

During a successful field exercise at the Minnesota National Guard test facility, Lockheed Martin's small SkySpirit UAS - with a Sandia National Laboratories developed MiniSAR sensor - soared to nearly 915 metres and, in near real-time, became the first UAS to successfully transmit four-inch resolution search and rescue (SAR) imagery.

This demonstration was the first time that an autonomous flight of a small tactical UAS has captured SAR data of this type and resolution.