Initiatives in International Interoperability

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Initiatives in International Interoperability

• John Shutler
• Chief Engineer
• ITT Defence (UK) Ltd
• May, 2007

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Presentation Overview

• ITT VHF Combat Radio Systems
• US SINgle Channel Ground/Air Radio System
  (SINCGARS)
• UK Bowman Combat Radio System
• Interoperability Initiatives
• Provision of Secure Tactical Communications
  between US and UK forces via the Joint Tactical
  Radio System (JTRS) Programme
• Reduction of Fratricide by the introduction of a
  common Radio Based Combat Identification System
  (RBCI) for US and UK forces

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ITT Aerospace Communications Division ITT
Defence UK Ltd
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US SINCGARS VHF Tactical Radio
30-88 MHz VHF-FM Single channel and
frequency hopping (FH) 6 FH presets (including
TRANSEC keys) Less than 8 pounds with embedded
battery 33 hour battery life (631 duty cycle
with BA-5590 Battery) Jam-resistant
communications Voice and data Embedded
router option Embedded (SAASM) GPS option
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UK Bowman VHF Tactical radio
30-88 MHz VHF-FM Single channel, free
channel search (FCS) and frequency hopping (FH)
6 presets 16 Watt Tx power in ground role
Jam-resistant communications Voice and IP
data Embedded IP router Embedded (SAASM)
GPS
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UK/US Tactical Comms Interoperability
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Example of Current US/UK Interoperability Solution
16kb CVSD Voice CT
US APACHE using ITT SINCGARS ARC201
UK Warrior using ITT BOWMAN VHF plus KY99a
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Operational Requirement for Interoperability
Brigade Level Above
Brigade Level Above
X
X
UK Battle Group
US Armoured Battalion
BG
Support Helicopters
Company
XX
DIV TPS
Platoon
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Interoperability under development
Joint US/UK Interoperability Programme supported
by ITT in US and UK to embed BOWMAN VHF waveform
in US JTRS radios Started in 2005 Completion in
2007
US SINCGARS Radio
UK Bowman Radio
US JTRS Radio
Interoperability includes- Secure Voice and IP
Data, Fixed Freq, Free Channel Search and
Frequency Hopping
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BOWMAN System Architecture
External Network
UK Assets
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BOWMAN UK US JTRS System Architecture
External Network
UK Assets
G
US Assets
G
US Tactical Network
B
S
JTRS Radio
B
S
G
Bowman on JTRS
B
SINCGARS on JTRS
S
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Radio Based Combat ID (RBCI)
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COALITION COMBAT IDENTIFICATION ADVANCED CONCEPT
TECHNOLOGY DEMONSTRATION

• The Problem Fratricide. Coalition warfighters,
  particularly shooters, lack the optimal mix of
  technical and procedural means to accurately
  identify enemy, friendly, or neutral ground
  entities. This enables the timely, effective and
  safe employment of weapons.
• This problem manifests itself in limited combat
  effectiveness and increased risk of fratricide.
  The Coalition Combat Identification Advanced
  Concept Technology Demonstration (CCID ACTD) was
  initiated to help solve this problem.
• The CCID ACTD have initiated a series of
  international trials to measure the effectiveness
  of various Combat Identification Systems
• Urgent Quest took place in the UK
• Bold Quest is planned for later this year and
  will take place in the US

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The Solution Radio Based Combat Identification

• Provides a Global Positioning System (GPS) based
  interrogation system to enable combat
  identification
• RBCI is a software upgrade to SINCGARS radios.
• No hardware changes required, radio can use
  internal or external GPS
• Large quantity of SINCGARS radios already
  deployed provides excellent coverage
• Provides area clearance of fire in Air-to-Ground,
  and Ground-to-Ground scenarios
• Variable size target footprint
• Fully integrated with fielded Target Acquisition
  Systems

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Radio Based Combat ID - Operational Context
Radio Based Combat ID (RBCI) Helo/Forward
Observer/Forward Air Controller to Vehicle,
SINCGARS SW upgrade
RBCI
RBCI
RBCI
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Simple Configuration Interrogator and Responder
Interrogator
Responder
Range
Own Loc X,Y
A z i m u t h
SINCGARS ASIP Including GPS
SINCGARS ASIP Including GPS
Target Loc X,Y
Laser Range Finders
Im Here!
RBCI Display Control Interface Unit
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RBCI Two Interrogation Types
Target Area ID
Tracking ID (locate specific platforms)
B-15 / B-21 Where are You?
B-15
Im Here!
B-21
Im Here!
GPS Coordinate Based Target Footprint
Hostile
Friendly
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RBCI A Coordinated Solution
Beyond Line of Sight
Query indicates FRIENDLIES in Target area
Apache
Query indicates FRIENDLIES in Target area
HQ/Fire Controller
RF Variable Size Target Footprint
Query indicates NO FRIENDLIES in Target area
FO/FAC

• Sends variable size GPS coordinate based
  interrogation footprint over radio, centered
  around potential target or location

• If friendlies within footprint, they will respond
  that they are within the targeted area
• (Dont Shoot)

• Helicopter, FO or FAC determines potential target
  location (via target acquisition device, or
  manually, using grid coordinates)

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US Radio Based Combat ID History and Fielding
Status

• RBCI prevented 44 fratricides in Exercise URGENT
  QUEST in 2005
• US Joint Forces Command recommended RBCI for
  fielding after review of Urgent Quest outcome
• In March 2006, a 3-Star US Army/Marine Corp Board
  recommended RBCI for transition to the field
• The U.S. Army has funded the fielding of RBCI in
  the ASIP and AirSIP radios
• ASIP September 2007
• AirSIP December 2007
• The U.S. Army continues to develop the RBCI
  feature
• ITT is under contract to provide RBCI using the
  JTRS Soldier Radio Waveform (SRW)

URGENT QUEST Urgent Quest assessed the
military utility of emerging combat
identification technologies in a series of
operational demonstrations conducted from
2003-2005. The technologies assessed provide a
cooperative target identification capability
enabling both ground forces and aircrew to
identify friendly forces via query/response.
International participation during the course of
the ACTD consisted of a team of nine nations in
the final operational demonstration.
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Coalition Radio Based Combat ID History and
Fielding Status

• Radio Based Combat ID common waveform defined
• ITT Defence UK funded by UK MOD to provide the
  SINCGARS RBCI responder waveform in UK BOWMAN VHF
  radios for Exercise BOLD QUEST
• ITT will field a number of modified UK BOWMAN
  Radios on target platforms and demonstrate them
  responding to US SINCGARS radios performing
  target interrogations.

BOLD QUEST Bold Quest is an extension of the
CCID ACTD. The objective of Bold Quest is to
assess and further inform US and allied
investment in the optimal combat identification
capability. In order to achieve this objective
the candidate technologies will be demonstrated
under conditions designed to replicate coalition
operations to the greatest extent possible
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Target RBCI solutions
RBCI SINCGARS
RBCI Bowman
Responder Box
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Summary

• ITTs Mission is to support customers in
  transferring the knowledge and technology to meet
  and overcome new challenges in areas such as
  these.
• RBCI
• The RBCI network can provide immediate
  information to pilots and other weapons
  platforms, greatly improving the avoidance of
  Fratricide
• No added hardware is needed to provide this
  capability, making it an efficient, cost
  effective solution
• Bowman in JTRS
• Inclusion of the Bowman waveform in US JTRS
  radios will enable direct, secure interoperation
  between US and UK forces at all levels from
  Brigade down.
• Users will be able to pass voice and data
  messages including situational awareness/position
  updates. This capability also complements RBCI
  further reducing the risk of fratricide in
  coalition operations.