October 2017

Global Military Communications Magazine

October 2017

Photo courtesy of SAAB

www.globalmilitarycommunications.com | October 2017

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Editor Amy Saunders [email protected] Sales Christopher Ayres [email protected] Sales Sam Baird [email protected] Circulation Manager Elizabeth George Production [email protected] Editorial Director Richard Hooper [email protected] Managing Director David Shortland [email protected]

Network testing challenges and solutions. Visit page 32

Contents News review

No par t of this publication may be transmitted, reproduced or electronically stored without the written permission from the publisher. DS Air Publications does not give any warranty as to the content of the material appearing in the magazine, its accuracy, timeliness or fitness for any particular purpose. DS Air Publications disclaims all responsibility for any damages or losses in the use and dissemination of the information. All editorial contents Copyright © 2017 DS Air Publications All rights reserved

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Live fire training in a modern world

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Q&A Chris Bye, President of Getac

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Lasers - The weapon of the future

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Communications on-the-move in a satellite-denied environment 18 Q&A Tony Bardo, Assistant Vice President at Hughes Government Solutions

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Securing military networks

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Q&A Victor Wollesen, CEO at Per Vices

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Extending government modernization to the network’s edge

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Multi-hop wireless mesh networks for V2V/M2M: Network testing challenges and solutions

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Photo courtesy Meggitt

DS Air Publications 1 Langhurstwood Road Horsham West Sussex, RH12 4QD United Kingdom T: +44 1403 273973 F: +44 1403 273972 [email protected] www.globalmilitarycommunications.com

GMC If you would like to supply information for future issues of GMC please contact Amy Saunders, Editor.


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Airbus renews its trust in Thales

Photo courtesy of Lockheed Martin

US Navy accepts delivery of fifth Freedom-variant Littoral Combat Ship Lockheed Martin and Fincantieri Marinette Marine delivered the future USS Little Rock (LCS 9) to the US Navy on September 25. The future USS Little Rock, the fifth Freedom-variant LCS built by Lockheed Martin and Fincantieri Marinette Marine, is scheduled to be commissioned in Buffalo later this year. She will be the first US Navy ship to be commissioned next to her decommissioned namesake. “We look forward to the day the future USS Little Rock joins the fleet. Her superb sea trials performance highlights the success of the production and performance improvements achieved as a result of serial production,” said Joe DePietro, Vice President of small surface combatants and ship systems. “This milestone would not have been possible without the extraordinary contributions of all Freedom-variant LCS teammates.” LCS 9 completed acceptance trials last month with the highest score of any Freedom-variant LCS to date, earning a “clean sweep.” During sea trials, the industry team also successfully demonstrated performance improvements, which will be incorporated into all future Freedom-variant Littoral Combat Ships. “Today's important milestone for LCS 9 was made possible by the investment and improvements made to our serial production line, which allowed us to realize our vision for a full flex shipyard,” said Jan Allman, FMM President and CEO. “Fincantieri Marinette Marine's shipbuilders are proud to deliver this proven warship, and we look forward to working with the US Navy to continue building these highly capable ships for the fleet.” Named in honour of the patriotic and hardworking citizens of Little Rock, LCS 9 will be the second US Navy ship to bear the name of Arkansas' largest city. Her homeport will be Naval Station Mayport, where she'll join USS Milwaukee (LCS 5) and USS Detroit (LCS 7). The Lockheed Martin and Fincantieri Marinette Marine team is currently in full-rate production of the Freedom-variant of the LCS, and has delivered five ships to the US Navy to date. There are seven ships in various stages of construction at Fincantieri Marinette Marine, with one more in long-lead production. The Freedom-variant LCS team is comprised of Lockheed Martin, shipbuilder Fincantieri Marinette Marine, naval architect Gibbs & Cox, and more than 800 suppliers in 42 states. GMC

In Brief Naval Group and Fincantieri welcome the decision of the French and Italian governments to launch a joint process paving the way for the future creation of a progressive alliance in the naval defence sector. The two groups will play a key role in the steering committee that will be launched within the next few days with the objective to define by June 2018 a roadmap detailing the principles of the future alliance.

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As part of a long-standing relationship between the two companies, Airbus has awarded Thales a contract for a further two new A400M military training simulators (Nos. 7 and 8). The French and German air forces will benefit from these new simulators respectively in 2019 and 2020. The two new simulators will enable A400M crews to train in complex missions such as in-flight refuelling and low-level tactical operations in a safe environment. So far, Thales has previously delivered five orders for A400M FFS and two Flat Panel Flight - Training Devices to France, Germany, the UK and the International Training Center in Sevilla and a sixth FFS will be delivered to Spain in 2018. “Thales is proud to have received such long-standing commitment from Airbus and we will continue to provide high-quality simulators to enable flight crews to train for their missions. Thales is committed to supporting the Airbus A400M platform through its development cycle with Airbus,” said Stephen McCann, Vice President, Avionics activities at Thales in the UK. In the UK, A400M Training Services Ltd (ATSL), a joint venture company formed by Thales and Airbus, manages the training, support services and maintenance at the Royal Air Force at Brize Norton training school in Oxfordshire. In 2017, the training school has already trained over 24 pilots, 20 loadmasters and 204 engineers. Thales is the only provider of A400M Flight Simulators through OCCAR (Organisation Conjointe de Coopération en matière d’ARmement). GMC

Elbit Systems US subsidiary awarded $31.5 million contract Elbit Systems has announced that its subsidiary, Elbit Systems of America has been awarded a $31.5 million additional component contract by the Defense Logistics Agency Land and Maritime to provide Aviator Night Vision Imaging System Head-Up Displays (ANVIS HUD). Work will be performed over a two-year period. “Elbit Systems of America is committed to providing America’s warfighters with the very best in advanced technology HUD”, said Raanan Horowitz, President and CEO, Elbit Systems of America. “We are a proven and trusted partner for component capabilities critical for platform mission readiness.” GMC



Northrop Grumman awarded support contract from UK MoD Northrop Grumman Corporation has been awarded a 24-month contract by the Ministry of Defence’s (MOD) Special Projects Search and Counter Measures team for in-service support of the CUTLASS Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) remotely controlled vehicle. The CUTLASS remotely controlled vehicle for explosive ordnance disposal was designed, developed and manufactured by Northrop Grumman in the UK, and provides state-of-the-art capabilities for national security and resilience applications. The work, which is a continuation of the existing in-service support contract for CUTLASS, will be carried out at Northrop Grumman’s Coventry facility where the company provides life cycle support for all of its EOD unmanned ground systems. CUTLASS was designed, developed and manufactured by Northrop Grumman in the UK, and includes significant advances in technology and performance and a range of features that provides state-of-the-ar t capabilities for national security and resilience applications. “Our CUTLASS vehicle has set new standards for unmanned ground vehicles since it was first introduced, significantly enhancing the ability of users to handle hazardous threats safely. The vehicle is in-service across the UK and has proven itself to be robust and capable in the most demanding environments,” said Andrew Tyler, Chief Executive, Northrop Grumman Europe. “This contract will enable us to ensure that the CUTLASS continues to deliver state-of-the-art EOD capabilities for the Armed Forces.” Northrop Grumman's unmanned ground vehicle business has been established in Coventry for more than 20 years. In the UK, the company designs, develops, manufactures and supports some of the most capable and reliable unmanned ground vehicles available, from the Wheelbarrow bomb disposal robot to the latest vehicle, CUTLASS. GMC


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Meggitt Training Systems’ FATS M100 virtual system

Live fire training in a modern world Using the latest technology for training purposes has become commonplace the world over; in the military, games and virtual reality have frequently been used to train soldiers in a wide range of skills, including parachuting. This technologybased approach has saved countless lives, and, moreover, helped attract new recruits who can relate more to the technology they’re accustomed to using in everyday life. Live fire training is vital throughout militaries around the globe, and here, too, technology allows soldiers to be able to train in newer and better ways than ever before. Live fire exercises are an essential part of military training. During live fire training, soldiers have the opportunity to use real ammunition in an artificial combat situation. Live fire ranges are usually government-owned, and completely void of other people in an attempt to avoid casualties. During live fire exercises, soldiers are placed in combat with derelict equipment such as tanks or ships, drones, or, in some extreme cases, against other soldiers. These live fire exercises allow soldiers to become accustomed to using real weapons, and to learn how to operate them to their best ability. The weight, the kickback, re-loading – all this experience is going to be vital should the soldier ever enter a real battle. By partaking in live fire training, soldiers become more accustomed to the effect of real ammunition, how it travels, and the noise involved, in a safe environment; this can be a great aid in reducing stress and imbuing soldiers with confidence. Today, as is the case for many aspects of modern life, live fire training is being increasingly backed up by virtual capabilities, systems which allow soldiers to hone their targeting and operational techniques. The benefits of live fire training in a simulated environment are obvious; high ammunition costs are done away with, and the number of injuries are vastly reduced. Of course, training in a simulated environment will never be able to replace genuine real-world live fire exercises, however, it is an excellent tool to augment existing training capabilities. All of the armed forces units, whether they be army, marines, air force or naval, need to use live fire training to ready themselves for battle, making live fire training systems a key part of every military unit.

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Meggitt Training Systems makes great strides in live fire systems Meggitt Training Systems is a leading supplier of integrated live fire and simulation weapons training systems supporting military, defence and security forces, federal and international law enforcement agencies, large metropolitan training academies, police departments, ammunition and firearms manufacturers and commercial shooting range owners. At the end of 2016, Meggitt won two contracts from the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) worth around US$20 million. The contracts include the delivery of 866 BlueFire convertible wireless versions of the UK’s SA80 main infantry service rifle and its associated support equipment, which will be used throughout the UK and selected overseas locations. The contract also included 70 Sharpshooter rifles and associated system upgrades for the UK’s existing small-arms trainer, the Dismounted Close Combat Trainer (DCCT), which will be fielded on 59 upgraded systems. Meggitt’s FATS DCCT has been the UK MoD’s primary small-arms training system since 2003, and the company delivered the first of 154 DCCTs to the British Army in 2003. The new convertible weapons retain the same form and feel of fully functional rifles, replacing tether-only models supplied by Meggitt to the UK in the 1990s. The models will be enhanced by Meggitt’s wireless technology and rechargeable batteries for extended marksmanship training. “The SA80 and Sharpshooter contracts continue to strengthen Meggitt Training Systems’ long-standing relationship with UK Ministry of Defence. Precise marksmanship training using realistic weapon simulators is essential for mission success and a vital part of the UK’s Future Integrated Soldier Technology modernisation initiative,” said Jeff Murphy, President,



WE-Go Saab develops new app for soldiers

Meggitt Training Systems. February 2017 saw Meggitt complete the joint final inspection and final physical configuration audit for the US Marine Corps’ next-generation, small-arms trainer. Completion of the tests confir ms that Meggitt has met all program-of-record requirements set forth by the Program Manager for Training Systems to deliver the Indoor Simulated Marksmanship Trainer (ISMT) to US Marine Corps units worldwide. “The completion of the ISMT testing marks a significant milestone in a long-standing relationship between the US Marine Corps and Meggitt,” said Jeff Murphy, President at Meggitt Training Systems. Meggitt has commenced installation of the first systems and new weapons, which are fully compatible with the Marines’ existing arsenal of simulated weapons and Marine Corps Operating Concept.” Meggitt was originally awarded the US$39 million, five-year Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity contract in 2014. System deliveries will occur at global locations through the next 18 months. As a certified program of record, ISMT will train new and experienced Marines in marksmanship, collective scenarios and judgmental video scenarios. Each mode provides critical training based on the skill level of the individual or unit. The scalable and robust open-architecture system allows integration of Meggitt and third-par ty training modules, and will accommodate evolutions in fidelity and graphic complexity for greater realism. Current Meggitt architecture facilitates enhanced


3D marksmanship, with an intelligent automatic coaching application on a wireless tablet, enabling trainers to provide more effective guidance for their training budget. Meanwhile, in April 2017, Meggitt commenced a three-month demonstration of its FATS 100ML solution at NATO Rapid Deployable Corps-Italy (NDRC-Italy), a multinational headquarters with personnel from 13 NATO member nations. The FATS 100ML delivers a significant expansion in virtual small-arms training capability, leveraging key features from the US Army Engagement Skills Trainer II and the US Marine Corps’ ISMT programs of record. Ideally positioned for direct and foreign military sales, the FATS 100MIL features industry-leading capabilities for customers in Europe and beyond. Enhanced 3D marksmanship provides highly detailed terrains and targets, including weather, birds in flight and realistic ballistic effects. Automatic coaching tracks the weapon sensor information with shot analysis that recalls customer doctrine and reinforces the fundamentals of shooting to the trainee. Tablet functionality maximizes session time by allowing the trainer to run the system wirelessly and move as needed. VBS3-based collective training supports Meggitt’s BlueFire wireless weapon simulators, its full line of mortar simulators, close air support and Joint Terminal Attack Controller training. “The FATS 100MIL incorporates Meggitt’s experience providing the newest small-arms training systems for the US Army and Marine Corps,” said Andrea Czop, Vice President of Strategy, Sales and Marketing at Meggitt Training Systems. “As such, our system is uniquely qualified to meet the most rigorous NATO training requirements, especially for high-readiness forces facing evolving threats to alliance members.” Saab delivers individual training feedback Meggitt Training Systems is far from the only company working in the simulated live fire training sphere. At the end of 2016, Saab released a new app called WE:Go for soldiers using Saab’s GAMER training system. Most training after-action reviews today deliver the exercise results to the entire group, platoon, or company, but now, all that is changing. Saab’s WE:Go advances this review step by automatically delivering each individual soldier’s results directly to a Smart phone or tablet. It provides the par ticipant’s positions, movements, weapon engagements, rounds fired, number of hits and misses, and wounds sustained throughout the exercise. Other data, such as video from helmet cameras, can be replayed in the app. “High-fidelity training is essential to build a soldier’s confidence. With WE:Go’s ability to deliver individual results to each soldier, he or she can reach that level of confidence sooner than ever,” said Åsa Thegström, head of Training & Simulation at Saab. “Saab believes that this app will increase soldier motivation and make exercise follow-up more effective and rewarding.”

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Saab’s GAMER Manpack is used during smaller military exercises when the instructor needs control of the exercise and at the same time be able to be near the action. The GAMER Manpack consists of a miniaturised radio base station and a laptop with an exercise-command-and-control system. The instructor decides through the system what will take place during the exercise, and this is communicated through the radio. Information about what is happening during the exercise is sent back to the system through specific vests, Personnel Detection Devices (PDDs) worn by the soldiers, which makes it possible to control simulated minefields, indirect fires and simulated bombs. The instructor then follows how each soldier acts as an individual and a member of the group. This movement is also saved and the information is then saved to be used in the evaluation of the exercise. The GAMER Manpack is used by the South African National Defence Force, and is also used for civil training. In 2009 the UK Ministry of Defence Police purchased three GAMER Manpacks and related products to be used in their training. Rockwell Collins and Leonardo DS upgrade US Navy training systems Government forces in the USA have long enjoyed access to the best of the best when it comes to training, capabilities, and facilities. Often at the head of new innovations, live fire training systems have always been a high priority for US military groups. In March 2017, the US Navy selected Rockwell Collins and Leonardo DRS to supply its next-generation, encrypted tactical training system, the Tactical Combat Training System Increment II (TCTS Inc-II). The initial US$142 million contract is for the development of an airborne, ground and ship-based encrypted training capability, which will include integration with other fielded equipment and combat systems. The TCTS Inc-II will support the training of US Navy and Marine Corps aviation forces,

including aircrew for F-35, F/A-18 and other front-line combat aircraft. Coupled with this initial development program are options for low-rate and full-rate production. The aim of the TCTS Inc. II program is to provide a Department of Defense (DoD) and National Security Agencyapproved encrypted tactical training system. The system provides the first certified, Multi-Level Security (MLS) training equipment packaged in both airborne and ground equipment, allowing for tethered and autonomous operations. MLS will provide secure interoperability between combinations of 5thgeneration and 4th-generation aircraft, bringing significant training benefits to participants in a simulated, high-threat combat environment. It has five times more network capacity than current air combat training systems, and uses the existing training range frequency spectrum for enhanced live player training fidelity and to increase the number of players participating in live, virtual and constructive (LVC) training. “TCTS Inc-II fills gaps from the currently fielded air combat training equipment by enabling the world’s air forces to securely migrate to LVC training to increase warfighter readiness at a reduced cost,” said Troy Brunk, Vice President and General Manager, Communication, Navigation & Electronic Warfare Systems for Rockwell Collins. “As we develop the advanced training capabilities, we will be flight testing on our Eastern Iowa Range to reduce technical risk and time-to-field for the Navy.” Technical achievements already made in the DoD’s Common Range Integrated Instrumentation System (CRIIS) program are directly applicable to the TCTS Inc-II, such as simultaneous MLS certification, site installation accreditation, data link frequency authorization and flight worthiness certification of airborne subsystem packages. These achievements support an improved schedule and reduce risk for the TCTS Inc-II capability, which can be leveraged by other nations, services and platforms to provide highly-relevant operational training at low risk. GMC

Photo courtesy of Pexels

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Computing solutions for extreme environments Getac has been providing rugged computing solutions for use in extreme environments since 1989. Today, the company offers an extensive rugged computing product line, including laptops, tablets, and handheld computers, serving a wide range of vertical markets such as military and defence, law enforcement, public safety, emergency services, and industrial manufacturing, among others. Amy Saunders spoke with Chris Bye, President of Getac, to find out more about the company’s latest market developments, and how it is positioning itself to meet the needs of the future.

Chris Bye, President of Getac

Rugged Defence mobility enables you to accurately track your assets both in peace time and when deployed on operations at a moment’s notice. The Defence community requires Notebooks, Convertible and Tablet devices that will work in extreme environmental and security conditions, where selfsustainability is vital. Getac's focus on reducing, Size, Weight and Power (SWaP) on all of its devices provides end users with a cost effective Commercial Off-TheShelf (COTS) solution. The fit for purpose (FFP) hardware can enable the stable running of Command, Control, Communication, Computer and Intelligence (C4I) and Technical Publication Documentation (Tech Pubs) applications in operational environments, where downtime can have an unacceptable impact on operational effectiveness. Getac understands that each operational user has their unique requirements and offers customization options for more bespoke projects.

GMC: Can you provide an overview of Getac’s key milestones and development in the almost three decades it has been operating? Chris Bye: Getac was established in 1989 as a joint venture with GE Aerospace and MiTAC-Synnex Business Group, to supply defence electronic products and provided rugged computing devices for the US air force, which can still be seen in service today. Since then, Getac devices have proliferated across the defence sector and are now used in a number of roles to enable true mobility for the modern-day battlefield. As Getac’s success in the sector grew, it built on its knowledge and experience and developed military grade rugged mobile devices for a range of other sectors too, from utilities to public safety and automotive. Key to its success has been the development of Getac’s own innovations, such as its industry-leading sunlight readable touch screens (Lumibond 2.0), hot swappable battery technology and thinner/lighter chassis. During the last 28 years, Getac has launched a range of rugged mobile devices from laptops to tablets and handhelds to meet the needs of a range of vertical markets for workers who need performance and reliability in the most hazardous environments. This year, Getac launched its first rugged mobile device built specifically to address the mobile computing challenges faced by dismounted soldiers - the MX50. GMC: What can you tell us about your key markets, and how have they developed over the years? Chris Bye: Each vertical is impacted by different trends, which means they have different computing requirements. For example, longer working hours mean longer lasting battery power, paperless office initiatives and cloud computing, thus storage and connectivity become more important. Emergency services and field

GMC Q&A

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Royal Engineer overlooking NATO Helicopter base at night




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workers have been earlier adopters of video functionality within their rugged devices to better record emergency situations or engineering problems. For defence, more technological advances such as GPS and connectivity have meant troops are better managed and protected. Cybersecurity is a key consideration that is impacting all vertical markets globally, so Getac has signed a number of software partners to deliver the highest levels of data and device security available today. More recently, one trend that appears across all sectors is the demand for smaller, lighter, more powerful and more costeffective computing devices, which has been driven by the introduction of consumer tablets, slates and hybrids. Getac has worked closely with its customers in the defence space to ensure it is delivering technology that can support the digitalization of all platforms, including the dismounted soldier. As expectation of mobile computing has evolved, Getac has continued to adapt its product portfolio in line with the ever-changing requirements. The MX50 body worn tablet device for the dismounted soldier is testament to this. GMC: Getac is well-known for designing rugged products that stand the test of time. How do rugged devices compare to ruggedized devices in terms of performance and cost, and how big a difference do you believe the end user experiences? Chris Bye: Getac not only designs, but also manufactures its devices and has strong R&D capabilities, which provides a number of benefits for end users. Getac uses rugged components in its devices to ensure the customer computing experience is as good after a five-year period as it was on day one, meaning there is no performance degradation in Getac devices. This is particularly important for defence organisations looking to deploy a fleet of equipment where reliability and access to critical information is a key requirement, and where budgets will not stretch to replacing kit every year or two. It also means that Getac can deliver a lower cost of ownership over the entire product life cycle, which is also supported by a warranty (called bumper to bumper), which will replace or repair a device within that five-year period. The other benefit to Getac developing and manufacturing its own products, is that it can work closely with its customers to provide a high level of customization and all-aspect hardwaresoftware integration. This means Getac can deliver a bespoke combination specific connectors, software or por ts or

Getac MX50

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accessories as required by a specific vertical or organisation. GMC: In March 2017, Getac launched its first rugged mobile device designed specifically for the defence sector. How does the MX50 meet the needs of end users, and what advantages will be gained compared to other products currently used for the same applications? Chris Bye: The newly launched MX50 rugged tablet device provides the dismounted soldier with an intuitive, consumerlike device with all the rugged features expected from a Getac product. In addition, Getac has worked with a number of industry leading partners to ensure the device can meet the highest levels of security and is fully interoperable with all in service military radios. For example, the MX50 meets the Common Criteria ISO/ IEC 15408 computer security certification, and the NSA’s Commercial Solutions of Classified (CSfC) platform and file encryption data at rest guidelines, which enables commercial components to be used in layered solutions to protect classified national security systems information. It is compatible with a large number of IEEE communication protocols, making it interoperable with a range of external hardware and drivers, such as the Glenair connector to provide USB 2.0 and power to the device. Smartphones are currently being used by dismounted soldiers for some applications, but they are proving to be unreliable in field conditions due to breakages. Getac rugged devices undergo rigorous testing, and in the case of the MX50, it is certified to Military Standards 810G and 461G, meeting current, legacy and future GSA standards. It can withstand drops and other impacts, operate seamlessly in extreme weather conditions - from -21 to +60 degrees Celsius - and EMC environments, and has an Ingress Protection (IP) rating of 67. GMC: Getac also recently partnered with Trivalent to provide next-generation data protection for the first time in rugged computing devices. What are the main challenges in securing customer data on rugged devices, and how will this partnership help meet end user demands? Chris Bye: Defence teams depend upon rugged mobile devices to convey mission critical, covert communications and data collection in hostile military operating environments. Although field operators may have limited or no network connectivity, it is imperative it does not impact secure storage of, and access to, sensitive data on devices. This is why commercially available traditional endpoint security is insufficient and data protection has to meet rigorous security requirements to minimise exposure. Getac has partnered with Trivalent, a provider of next generation data protection services, to deliver seamless and robust next-generation data protection, for the first time on rugged devices. This includes Trivalent’s unique Data Alchemy™solution, which renders data completely unusable by unauthorised parties. Trivalent Protect is the only NSA Commercial Solutions for Classified (CSfC) certified data-atrest (DaR) solution. It is developed exclusively with the warfighter in mind to securely handle Top Secret and below data. The integration of Trivalent’s software security into Getac’s line of laptops and tablets, delivers seamless, robust data protection for the first time on rugged computing devices. GMC: May 2017 saw Getac launch a fully rugged tablet for mobile field professionals. How have the needs of mobile transportation and field service professionals changed, and how will the ZX70 meet those needs? Chris Bye: Field services have the expectation of working efficiently and accurately, meaning they need to rely on a device that can withstand various weather conditions, offer constant connectivity and have enough battery to last a full shift. Getac’s new ZX70 is a 7" fully rugged Android tablet, is ideal for field based operatives because it is thin and lightweight, offers the power and reliability and a and has a hot-swappable battery so



it can last an entire shift or more. It also includes Getac’s LumiBond screen technology, meaning it has advanced touch modes including touch/rain, glove and pen. It is MIL-STD 810G and IP67 certified, meaning it is rugged and robust. GMC: We’re seeing that the battlefield is becoming increasingly digitalized, but what does this mean for the soldier in the field? What key trends are you observing, and how will Getac respond? Chris Bye: Modernisation of defence is firmly on the agenda with much focus on Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C4ISR). The demand for C4ISR systems is being driven by the need to achieve modernisation, a rise in asymmetric warfare and the growing requirement for flexible interoperability and integration of systems and networks to support military and dismounted operations. An important goal of C4ISR is for each soldier’s capability to be enhanced and for technology to be a force multiplier. One of the most important technologies for the dismounted soldier is their End User Device (EUD), as it enables rapid access to, and manipulation of data in real time, collaboration and integration of applications. Yet, traditionally specialist mobile devices have been power hungry, heavy and cumbersome. Now devices have become smaller and more powerful in the consumer realm, and defence are eager to adopt this capability in the battlefield. And it’s easy to see why when considering the benefits of consumer mobile devices; they are

small, lightweight and fast, easy to use, intuitive, and have interoperable operating systems, loaded with apps. But consumer devices will quickly fail in military environments especially in the deployed space. This is the dichotomy between trends and what is functional in computing for defence. Getac is responding to this by developing cutting edge devices that offer the consumer-like experience - lightweight, intuitive interface and longer battery life, with rugged devices that will stand the test of the battlefield, all while providing the necessary security, interoperability and performance needed. To effectively meet military C4ISR operational and modernisation goals, defence procurement must look to harness new COTS hardware and software, and even Internet of Things (IoT) applications. And for mobile computing, a new breed of ‘consumer rugged’ COT devices can provide the right balance, of being lightweight, easy to use, powerful, as well as meeting the stringent data and security standards. GMC: What do you expect Getac to achieve in the rest of 2017 and beyond? Chris Bye: In the coming years, new innovations such as artificial intelligence, voice, wearables and internet of things will continue to shape the way mobile and remote workers operate. Getac’s R&D facility and global development teams are continuing to develop new products and Getac has an exciting roadmap for new releases in the coming months and well into GMC 2018 and beyond.

Getac MX50


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Active laser deployed on the USS Ponce amphibious transport ship. Video/ image courtesy of CNN/US Navy

Lasers - The weapon of the future Despite the fact that laser weapons are a relatively new invention, still under development to become actual viable weapons systems, we’re all readily familiar with the concept thanks to science fiction books and films. A simple point and shoot model, with no re-loading, and a flash of red, green or blue light marks the ends of foes through television. The reality is, of course, far from what is depicted on our screens, but reality is exactly where we’re headed. The concept of laser weapons is centuries old; H. G. Wells’ 1898 novel ‘War of the Worlds’ famously brought the idea of the raygun into the literary world, while the Star Wars franchise has truly brought laser weapons to the masses, complete with bright lights and fanfare. The reality is very different from the fiction, of course. We’ve come a long way since the first laser was demonstrated in 1960 at Hughes Research Laboratories. Today, military laser programmes are based around creating weapons that can disable or destroy enemy targets like vehicles, communications systems, equipment, and power supplies. Unlike fiction, laser weapons are not currently being designed for use on enemy combatants; under the US Defence Department policy and the United Nation’s (UN) Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW), the use of laser weapons on humans is currently banned. A laser weapon which focuses a huge amount of energy into a single point has received massive interest from government and military groups around the world – not only is it a ‘cool’ new toy popular with younger engineers and designers, but it turns out that they also have the capacity to be extremely effective.

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The advantages compared with traditional kinetic weapons include:

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Accuracy: Laser weapons are highly accurate, and are expected to drastically reduce civilian deaths and collateral damage compared with conventional weapons. Speed: Travelling much faster than traditional weaponry, laser beams provide an extremely rapid form of defence or attack. Cost: A traditional single-use missile may cost anywhere from thousands to millions of US Dollars, while lasers can be fired for as little as US$0.59/use, and are fully reusable. Stealth: Lasers can wreak considerable damage on enemy targets with no sound or other warning from miles away.

Accordingly, billions of US Dollars have been invested over the past decades into moving lasers from a scientific principle to an actual functioning weapon. Investments have fluctuated with the political landscape and in line with scientific developments, peaking at US$2.4 billion in 1989 during the height of the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI), also known as Star Wars, and falling shortly after when it became clear that MegaWatt-sized lasers, capable of massive destruction, were an unrealistic goal. As with all things, laser weapons also have their limitations:

•

• • • • •

Size, weight and Power (SWaP): Lasers require massive amounts of power, which can make them large and unwieldly, limiting their mobility. While advancements are being made in this area, there’s still a lot of room for improvement. Line-of-sight: Line-of-sight must be maintained between laser and target. Atmospheric conditions: Fog, smoke, clouds, natural turbulence and other atmospheric events alter the way the laser travels, reducing its effectiveness. Maintenance: A reusable weapon must be regularly maintained. Cooling: Lasers generate vast quantities of waste heat, which can damage the system if it is not dispersed rapidly enough. Counter-weapons: As research into laser weaponry



becomes more advanced, so too do counter-measures that can reduce or nullify their effects. Despite the limitations, the benefits of laser weapons have proven too great to be ignored, and, as usual, military arms of the US Government have been keen to be at the forefront of the technology. Lockheed Martin beats records with 60kW-class laser for US Army Lockheed Martin has been involved in the laser weapons systems sphere for more than 40 years, making advances in precision pointing and control, line-of-sight stabilization and adaptive optics – essential functions in harnessing and directing the power of a laser beam – and in fibre laser devices using spectral beam combining. The company plans to develop a family of laser weapon systems capable of various power levels tailored to address missions across sea, air and ground platforms. In March 2017, Lockheed Martin completed the design, development and demonstration of a 60kW class beam combined fibre laser for the US Army. During testing, the laser produced a single 58kW beam, representing a world record for a laser of this type. The Lockheed Martin team met all contractual deliverables for the laser system and is preparing to ship it to the US Army Space and Missile Defense Command/Army Forces Strategic Command in Huntsville, Alabama. “Delivery of this laser represents an important milestone along the path to fielding a practical laser weapon system,” said Paula Hartley, Vice President, Owego, New York General Manager and Advanced Product Solutions within Lockheed Martin’s Cyber, Ships and Advanced Technologies (CSAT) business. “This milestone could not have been achieved without close partnership between the US Army and Lockheed Martin; we are pleased to be able to deliver this system for their further integration and evaluation.” The beam combined fibre laser brings together individual lasers generated through fibre optics to generate a single, intense laser beam. This allows for a scalable laser system that can be made more powerful by adding more fibre laser subunits.

The laser is based on a design developed under the DoD’s Robust Electric Laser Initiative Program, and further developed through investments by Lockheed Martin and the US Army into a 60kW class system. “The inherent scalability of this beam combined laser system has allowed us to build the first 60kW-class fibre laser for the US Army,” said Robert Afzal, Senior Fellow for Laser and Sensor Systems. “We have shown that a powerful directed energy laser is now sufficiently light-weight, low volume and reliable enough to be deployed on tactical vehicles for defensive applications on land, at sea and in the air.” According to Afzal, the Lockheed Martin team created a laser beam that was near ‘diffraction-limited,’ meaning it was close to the physical limits for focusing energy toward a single, small spot. The laser system also proved to be highly efficient in testing, capable of translating more than 43 percent of the electricity that powered it directly into the actual laser beam it emitted. US Navy demonstrates LaWS for drone interception The US Navy has been trialling laser weapons systems for several years now, having installed the AN/SEQ-3 Laser Weapon System (XN-1 LaWS), a defensive energy weapon, on the USS Ponce in 2014. The solid-state laser array was such a success that the expected one-year operation period was extended, and the US Navy awarded Northrop Grumman a US$53 million contract to develop a more powerful ship-board laser. In July 2017, the US Navy demonstrated LaWS with a live fire test recorded by Cable News Network (CNN). During the test, crew on the USS Ponce launched an unmanned aerial system (UAS) as a target. The weapons team is capable of responding immediately with no need to lead a target, i.e. shooting ahead of its position, since the weapon travels at the speed of light. Accordingly, LaWS was used to heat one of the UAS wings to thousands of degrees, causing the aircraft to crash into the sea. “It is more precise than a bullet,” Captain Christopher Wells told CNN. “It’s not a niche weapon system like some other weapons that we have throughout the military where it’s only good against air contacts, or it’s only good against surface targets, or it’s only good against, you know, ground-based targets

Athena truck laser weapons test. Photo courtesy of Lockheed Martin


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- in this case this is a very versatile weapon, it can be used against a variety of targets.” LaWS provides a significant advantage over traditional kinetic weapons systems, travelling at some 50,000 times the speed of an intercontinental ballistic missile. “It is throwing massive amounts of photons at an incoming object,” said Lt. Cale Hughes, Laser Weapons System Officer on the USS Ponce. “We don’t worry about wind, we don’t worry about range, we don’t worry about anything else. We’re able to engage the targets at the speed of light.” The LaWS system, which cost some US$40 million, requires a source of electricity derived from its own generator to operate, and a crew of three. According to Hughes, it costs around US$1 per shot, whereas traditional missiles cost anywhere from thousands to millions of US Dollars. In addition, the high level of precision also means that collateral damage is vastly reduced compared with traditional weapons systems. “I can aim that at any particular spot on a target, and disable and destroy as necessary,” said Wells. “It reduces collateral damage — I no longer have to worry about rounds that may go beyond the target and potentially hurt or damage things that I don’t want to hurt or damage.” LaWS has been designed to disable or destroy aircraft and small boats, countering many airborne or surface-based threats. The system has proved itself over the last three years as being incredibly effective at that, according to Hughes. However, the US Navy is also developing a more powerful second-generation system which would enable missiles to be taken down by laser. UK Ministry of Defence awards Laser Directed Energy Weapon contract to UK Dragonfire Following the progress made by the US Government, the UK

has shown itself to be eager to get a foothold in the laser weapons sphere. In January 2017, it was announced that the UK’s Ministry of Defence (MoD) had awarded a £30 million contract to produce a prototype laser weapon to determine whether the technology could be of practical use to the armed forces on land and at sea. The Laser Directed Energy Weapon (LDEW) Capability Demonstrator contract was awarded to UK Dragonfire, a consor tium consisting of MBDA, Qinetiq, LeonardoFinmeccanica GKN, Arke, BAE Systems and Marshall ADG UK. Together, the companies will develop technology for a high energy defensive laser weapon system in the 50kW class. MBDA will build the system and assess how it can acquire and track targets at range and under a variety of weather conditions. Meanwhile, Qinetiq will provide the high-powered laser system and conduct the trial at one of the ranges it manages for the MoD as part of the Long Term Partnering Agreement. According to the MoD, the laser weapon system could complement of replace existing weapons systems, potentially with great benefits, and could be deployed to protect both maritime and land forces from missiles or enemy mortars. “Under MBDA lead, UK Dragonfire will put the UK at the forefront of high energy laser systems, capitalising on the experience of joint MoD/Industry working in the complex weapons environment,” said Dave Armstrong, Executive Group Director Technical and Managing Director at MBDA. “Furthermore, it advances the UK towards a future product with significant export potential, as well as providing opportunities for partnerships with other nations’ armed forces that have similar requirements.” A demonstration of the system is expected in 2019. GMC

Major order for Rheinmetall: 104 German Leopard 2 MBTs to be modernized Rheinmetall will soon be modernizing part of the Bundeswehr’s fleet of Leopard main battle tanks, implementing a comprehensive array of upgrade measures. The Düsseldorf-based technology group for mobility and security will be responsible for key parts of a combat performance upgrade programme that will bring 104 Leopard 2 tanks up to state-of-the-art design status. Coupled with additional services, the modernization package is worth a total of euros118 million. The first serially retrofitted Leopard 2 A7V tanks will reach the Bundeswehr starting in 2020. Rheinmetall will be transforming a total of 68 Leopard 2A4, 16 Leopard 2A6 and 20 Leopard 2A7 main battle tanks, bringing them up to A7V standard. In the process, Rheinmetall specialists will be eliminating obsolescent features in the fire control computers and control consoles as well as installing a new laser rangefinder and thermal imaging device. In addition, Rheinmetall will be supplying the new L55A1 gun for the 68 Leopard 2A4 MBTs to be modernized. These tanks will therefore be able to fire the latest generation of armour piercing ammunition in the upper pressure zone. All 104 Leopard 2A7V tanks will be capable of using Rheinmetall’s new programmable DM11 multipurpose round. The order underscores once again Rheinmetall’s leading role in tank main armament design and electronic components for modern fighting vehicles. GMC

Former Special Operations Commander Australia to join EM Solutions board Highly decorated soldier Major General Jeff Sengelman DSC, AM, CSC is joining the Board of EM Solutions following his recent retirement from the Australian Army. In announcing the appointment, EM Solutions CEO Dr. Rowan Gilmore said “General Sengelman has had an outstanding and highly decorated career as a soldier, and we are delighted he will bring his experience and strategic insights to our Board of Directors. His leadership credentials and drive to modernize defence capability are well known, and will accelerate our company’s ability to develop and deliver continuously improving capability to our customers”. Major General Sengelman served in the Australian Army for 37 years, most recently as the Special Operations Commander of Australia where he was responsible for Special Forces units such as the SAS Regiment and Commandos operating across the globe. In this position, he was the trusted senior adviser to Government and the Chief of the Defence Force on security issues of the highest national significance, and a principal adviser on Counter Terrorism. GMC

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Communications on-the-move in a satellitedenied environment Radio communications have long been used in the battlefield to provide efficient, reliable communications, enabling soldiers and officers to stay in the know. However, in today’s world, security is rapidly becoming a problem, as is bandwidth and usability. Here, Dr Rowan Gilmore, CEO of EM Solutions, outlines how the latest developments in antenna technology could change everything for mobile government users.

Radio communications is critical to the battlefield because it has the great advantage that one – or both ends – of the link do not have to be tethered, allowing freedom to roam. Low frequency radio waves can propagate around the world under the right conditions, bouncing off the ionosphere to enable long distance communications. However, because of the low bandwidth, this type of communications does not support the increasing data transfer needs of the modern military. Satellite networks solve the problem of communications at distance by providing a ‘relay’ station in the sky, and because they operate at a higher frequency, they also support higher bandwidths and data rates. For the remote user, either high throughput satellites (HTS) or microwave radios (which require line- of-sight) can provide the highest capacity channel. Millimetre wave frequencies offer massive bandwidths and therefore even higher throughputs. However, the challenge with these technologies that operate at microwave or millimetre wave frequencies is that antennas must be ‘directional’ to provide gain and achieve the radiated power (EIRP) required. For mobile users, this means that the antenna must be continually realigned, and the remote transmitter or satellite must remain within line-of-sight, to communicate. State-of-the-art mobile satellite terminals, such as the Cobra 368A shown in Figure 1, transmit and receive in several microwave bands, and use sophisticated pointing systems to ensure the antenna is always pointed at the satellite, independent of the motion of the vehicle or ship. Most satellites in use today, including the WGS and Inmarsat GX systems accessed by the Cobra terminal, are geostationary (that is, at a fixed point in the sky relative to the user on Earth). For low or medium Earth orbits, the satellite can move slowly across the sky. Terminals such as Cobra typically support the highest data rate channel to or from a remote ship, plane, or vehicle, since communications is at high microwave frequencies and can thus support the higher bandwidths needed. But how is a mobile user to communicate in an environment where there is no local cellular network (for instance, at sea or in the desert), and when the satellite is denied? Until now, the only fall back option would be to continue to use lower frequency VHF or UHF communications, but at these sub-microwave frequencies, achievable data rates are typically much lower than what the modern user requires, and rarely more than 1Mbps. In the absence of a satellite, what if ‘big data’ could instead be exchanged with an alternative ‘relay’ station within line of sight of the mobile user, such as to a site on shore (from a ship) or to an aircraft or UAV (from another aircraft or vehicle on the ground) – and from there, relayed to the core network? In such a scenario, the relay station would perform a similar function to a satellite, and could communicate with a remote mobile asset at an equally high data rate. To support this type of scenario, EM Solutions released its new Meerkat UltraBroadband Mobile Radio earlier this year. Now at TRL level 7 and recently tested in trials with a US Government

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Figure 1: The Cobra 368A on-the-move satellite terminal enables high speed communications between a ship and the satellite even in rough seas, over both the military WGS or commercial Inmarsat GX satellite networks.

agency, the Meerkat (so-named because of its nodding head as it looks for its partner radio in the distance) provides mobile line of sight communications at fibre-like speeds, providing a communications backbone for data traffic otherwise locked within an isolated geographical area. The Meerkat – Mobile ultra broadband communications The Meerkat is shown in Figure 2, and shares some features common to its sister Cobra terminal – its pedestal, and its automatic pointing technology. Using a second Meerkat terminal at the remote link end as its reference, the terminal’s monopulse pointing system stabilises itself against any motion of the vessel on which it is mounted, in the same way as Cobra does using the satellite as a reference. The difference with Cobra, however, is revealing. Once selfaligned, two Meerkats can establish a high-speed point-to-point microwave or millimetre wave link between themselves, even when both ends are moving; for example, when one is on a ship and the other on a mobile station on land! Because they operate using a point-to-point millimetre wave radio link, a Meerkat link does not require a satellite and can communicate over line-ofsight at data rates as high as 10Gbps. This is achieved using a state-of-the-art full-duplex radio that operates at 10Gbps in E-band, around 80GHz. The high frequency supports exceptionally high data rates over line-ofsight distances of up to 25km in clear air. The data interface to the radio is a 10G Ethernet cable with IP connectivity and that



Figure 2: The Meerkat Ultra-broadband Radio Terminal is an on-the-move terminal that finds its partner terminal located on land, sea, or in the air. Two terminals automatically point their antennas to each other and enable a high-speed data communications link to be established between themselves in a satellite-denied environment.

Figure 3: The Meerkat Terminal orients itself using a monopulse antenna feed (coincident with the data feed) that detects and locks onto a remote terminal, before establishing communications using its 10Gbps E-band radio (in white) mounted directly behind the antenna. The antenna is mounted in a three-axis gimbal system to point anywhere within the upper hemisphere.

through an optical gigabit Ethernet IP input. This ability to backhaul big data comes with a very low probability of intercept since the beamwidth is so small, and the terminals automatically GMC compensate for motion at either end.

concurrently supports the SNMP management interface, while the antenna control unit electronics, INU, and monopulse receiver are all self-contained within the unit itself. Figure 3 shows the terminal directed skywards towards a second terminal. The high gain 750mm antenna provides over 50dB gain at E-band frequencies. With a beamwidth of less than ½ degree, the probability of intercept or jamming is very low; conversely, both antennas must be accurately steered towards their counterparts. This is achieved with a highly accurate ‘monopulse’ receiver in the Meerkat at each end that senses the remote unit and automatically drives the antenna motors to maintain lock on the remote boresight. An in-built INU provides additional pointing stability for faster response. Applications By merging two leading edge technologies from their satellite communications terminals and terrestrial microwave links product suites, EM Solutions is able to provide the fastest ever long-distance radio communications links between any two moving platforms. As an adjunct to existing in-theatre communications assets connected by IP, the Meerkat provides a thick fibre-like backhaul route to offload or update massive data sets from any mobile vessel such as a ship, plane, or truck. Now being demonstrated in defence but also available for trial in commercial markets such as oil and gas, the new Exomux mobile platform at either end of a line-of-sight link automatically finds its partner at the other end, and remains locked to it so that data at speeds of 10Gbps can be passed in both directions between the two ends. Operating at E-band where there are no spectrum or bandwidth restrictions, a pair of Meerkat terminals provides direct line of sight communications in a satellite-denied environment. With a range of 25km in clear weather, and potentially hundreds of kilometres in free space where there is no atmospheric absorption, the radios provide a huge 10Gbps pipe accessed


Figure 4: The Meerkat Terminal can be ship mounted in a similar way to an existing maritime satellite communications terminal

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Changing market sector Hughes Government Solutions delivers a multitude of network and communications solutions to federal, state and local government organizations. The company provides connectivity to critical remote locations, helps agencies prepare for and respond to disaster events and emergencies, and offers training management platforms. With verticals in law enforcement, park services, telehealth and education, Hughes Government Solutions plays a vital role in keeping our government connected. Amy Saunders met with Tony Bardo, Assistant Vice President at Hughes Government Solutions, to talk about the changing market sector and new growth opportunities.

Tony Bardo, Assistant Vice President at Hughes Government Solutions

Whether your agency oversees the nation’s food supply, protects our borders, delivers distance education in rural areas, or makes the world a safer place, Hughes delivers cutting-edge broadband solutions with the power to transform your agency’s operations. HughesON™ is a cost-effective, comprehensive suite of managed network solutions designed to meet the unique needs of the distributed agency and to deliver secure, reliable, high-speed broadband connectivity to all of its sites, wherever they are located. From highcapacity access to high-availability networks, from digital signage to employee communications and training, from managed security to managed WiFi, HughesON enables you to cost-effectively serve your constituents, engage your employees, and streamline your operations. And Hughes advanced satellite solutions can be used as a primary broadband network or as a backup to complement landline networks—or both. By offering true alternate communications paths, Hughes helps Federal agencies meet their missions and maintain continuity of operations (COOP) even in the event of a disaster.

GMC: Can you provide an overview of the development of Hughes Government Solutions, including major milestones reached along the way? Tony Bardo: Our Government Solutions group at Hughes has come a long way since it was launched just over a decade ago. When we first got started, we had to make our commercially available solutions ‘government-ready.’ Easier said than done given the security measures that the government networks require. Luckily we already had extensive experience as a company deploying some of the most secure networks in the world for things like banking, lotteries and Point of Sale (PoS) transactions. As our division grew, we became more and more familiar with our government customers and we took the time to learn about what level of performance they really need to get out of their networks. We always strive to develop solutions that are tailored to the requirements of our customers and try and avoid offering a ‘one size fits all’ type of solution. This approach has allowed us to deliver critical solutions for our customers that help ensure mission success on their side. GMC: What services and solutions does Hughes Government Solutions provide, and to which end users? How have these changed since the company’s founding? Tony Bardo: Hughes Government Solutions brings commercial best practices to the government. The private enterprise market is often a good model for government operations because they are always striving for lower cost and higher efficiency, much like the government. Whether an agency needs digital signage, managed network services, cloud based training platforms or of course, satellite communications, we have proven solutions at reasonable costs thanks to the large success we’ve had supporting private enterprises for over four decades. In terms of how our services have changed over the years, as the requirements of the federal government have evolved, so have our offerings. Our services and solutions are constantly re-evaluated to ensure we’re meeting the needs of the government end-users. As a top three nationwide managed network services provider (by number of end points managed), we have a unique insight into some of the newest technologies that will be helpful to government agencies. In today’s era of IT modernization, this is critical because agencies are facing real bandwidth and other challenges across their networks, but they’re also facing budget uncertainty in today’s political climate. We offer solutions that can not only streamline their network operations but also save them money.

GMC Q&A

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SSL EchoStar XXI



GMC: Where does Hughes Government Solutions see itself in the market, and how does it distinguish itself from its competitors? Tony Bardo: As the global leader in broadband satellite networks and services, Hughes cut its teeth deploying the most complex networking technologies – 22,000 miles above the Earth. Because of that, our engineering expertise brings leadingedge communications solutions to federal and state agencies, especially as it relates to mission-critical capabilities like disaster response and back-up connectivity. Satellite back-up from Hughes offers a higher level of resiliency to any critical network that is dependent on local terrestrial infrastructure. Tornadoes, floods, earthquakes and other disasters can wreak havoc on local network lines and cellular towers. Implementing satellite backup at critical network sites can keep government networks up and running during and after disasters. Hughes has mastered backup technology for NG9-1-1 and other critical government networks by enabling an automatic and seamless switch from a failed terrestrial line to over a satellite connection. In fact, the switch happens so fast, if a 9-1-1 operator is on a live call with a citizen and the primary network becomes disrupted, the switch is made without any interruption or packet loss on the call. This is technology that is gaining a lot of momentum ever since we launched our latest satellite, EchoStar XIX, which enabled us to offer 25 Mbps download speeds from coast to coast. The broadband tier speeds allow new NG9-1-1 systems to maintain their newfound capabilities in text-to-911, sending photos and video messages, accurate cellular location among others. We have carved a niche in helping agencies maintain uninterrupted connectivity both during disasters and in everyday operations, as we also connect hundreds of remote government operational locations that had no other means of high speed connectivity. GMC: We’ve seen remote connectivity solutions for surveillance and monitoring boom in recent years for many applications, particularly in the government. How big an opportunity has this been for Hughes Government Solutions, and how has the company responded to this new demand? Tony Bardo: Hughes offers some of the best machine-tomachine (M2M) communications solutions available today. If an agency has a surveillance system in place and wants to automate the streaming of data from that location to another (regardless of where), we have affordable systems that enable and streamline this capability. We’ve worked with utilities, border security organizations and many others to deliver solutions that need to meet very specific requirements for the end users. GMC: Governments the world over still rely heavily on terrestrial communications networks, despite their vulnerability in the face of terror attack or natural disaster. How do you think they can reinforce their capabilities in a cost-effective manner? Tony Bardo: Keeping mission-critical applications up and running when disaster strikes is vital to ensure agencies have fast and secure access to information, and can respond in an effective and coordinated manner. It is crucial to have a highlyreliable and path-diverse network architecture in place should terrestrial landlines become inoperable from a disaster. Network availability is something Hughes specializes in and takes very seriously due to the critical nature of many of the networks we support. That said, there is a critical misconception in communications. That misconception is centred on diverse and redundant connectivity from agency headquarters to branch offices. Many agencies believe appropriate redundancy can be created by having two terrestrial-based communication networks through separate carriers. However, diversity of carriers does not mitigate their outage


risk because the communication lines, while from different carriers, often run through the same infrastructural conduits in and out of a site or are close enough to share the same physical vulnerabilities in a disaster. Agencies need to look for pathdiverse connectivity to ensure operations remain online. This means backing up primary and secondary terrestrial networks with satellite because it does not share the same risk as local ground-level infrastructure. With satellite broadband communications networks, first responders, senior emergency response teams, public safety officials and other key stakeholders can be assured that their network will enable critical applications to stay up and running and they will be able to communicate and share vital information during and immediately after the crisis. GMC: Which government customers view path diversity as an integral part of their operations, and how do they differ from those that do not? Tony Bardo: Unfortunately, I can’t speculate the views of our government customers and their thoughts on path diversity, largely because the networks we backup are often critical in nature and thus, publicizing them in any detail would not be in line with the goals of our customers. That said, I would like to call out the great work that the Department of Interior (DOI) is doing in leveraging satellite technology. They creatively leveraged satellite technology to connect their many disparate locations, which has been an ongoing challenge over the years for DOI. In the past when agencies sought to upgrade their connectivity, they would often find that their need for increased capacity and additional bandwidth exceeded the limitations of traditional MPLS T1 lines. Agencies would try and continue to add one or multiple T1 lines to their sites, where each T1 is limited to a speed of about 1.54Mbps per line and can cost hundreds of dollars per line per month because cost is directly related to the distance of the line. This approach usually yielded the same result - limiting an agency’s bandwidth scalability and hampering operational budgets and overall efficiencies. Seeking an alternative option that would overcome these shortcomings, the Department of Interior intelligently identified the solution of using a new hybrid network model that complemented existing MPLS network infrastructure with a managed broadband network. This approach not only provided increased bandwidth and speeds at their remote locations, but also increased the mobility and scalability of DOI offices. Positive results were found especially in the most remote locations, such as, Mt. Denali in Alaska; the bottom of the Grand Canyon; Dry Tortuga, Florida; and Glacier Point in Yosemite, California. The end result for the Department of Interior was significant cost savings (thanks to low cost-per-bit of broadband), higher network efficiency and substantial bandwidth increases. These benefits enabled higher productivity at DOI sites which had previously struggled to maintain optimal connectivity in the face of network and bandwidth bottlenecks. GMC: What does Hughes Government Solutions expect for the rest of 2017 and beyond? Tony Bardo: For 2017 and beyond, Hughes plans to aggressively educate federal agencies on the importance of legacy network modernization and the role the new EIS and CS3 contracts can play in helping them cost-effectively modernize their networks. We also plan on continuing to build upon the momentum we’ve experienced in backing up critical NG9-1-1 networks and deploying emergency response networks for disaster and emergency communications. For long term goals, we plan on showcasing the role satellite technology will play in IoT and 5G environments. You may be surprised by how critical a role satellite will play there, especially when you look at future satellite capabilities like those planned GMC for Hughes JUPITER 3 Ultra High Density Satellite.

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Photo courtesy of Deppadesigns/Shutterstock

Securing military networks With the White House officially elevating the United States Cyber Command (USCYBERCOM) to a full combatant command, the focus on cybersecurity within the Department of Defense (DOD) has never been higher. However, when it comes to securing military networks, how much of a commercial approach to security is applicable? The basic security design principles ought to be the same, but are there differences between commercial and military networks that affect the approaches to be used? Here, Ray Bernard, President and Principle Consultant of security consulting firm RBCS, Inc., and Paul M. Livingston, Non-executive Director at Accokeek Research and Engineering, Inc., address these questions. One basic difference between commercial business networks and military networks is that for the military, a more disciplined and structured approach is applied to network design and development, as well as to the interconnections between network nodes. Unlike the private sector, there are specific tiers of networks based upon information classification requirements. Principally, these tiers include Top Secret handled through the DoD’s Top-Secret Intranet Joint Worldwide Intelligence Communications System (JWICS); Secret handled through the Defense Information Systems Network’s (DISN) Secret Internet Protocol Router Network (SIPRNet); and Unclassified/For Official Use Only handled through DISN’s Non-classified Internet Protocol (IP) Router Network (NIPRNet). Each network has its own classification standards for security, which deal with identification (authentication), authorization, access and logging. These are disjointed networks intended to have very few, controlled interconnections rather than a complex pipeline. Connections are tightly controlled and differ going from higher to lower levels of classification, as well as in the reverse direction. There are specific controls on the technologies and protocols being used within classified networks that consider security and integrity before convenience. In general, the military uses different networks for its day-today operations than it does for command and control and intelligence gathering/storing requirements. Different military networks have different security protocols, but controlling the protocols, message exchanges and how applications interoperate are the key means to maintaining control over the overall network. Military networks have identity management

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and security-related protocols built-in during design and deployment. All classified networks use high-end military grade encryption. Military networks utilize a very wide variety of technologies. The communications technologies deployed for military air, land and sea operations have operational and security requirements that far surpass most non-military communications operations. In addition, these agencies need to comply with strict securityrelated oversight including the Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA) and frameworks such as the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s (NIST) Cyber Security Framework (CSF). These aspects of government and military networks make them expensive to deploy and operate; taking smart people to design and run them, and specialized equipment to support them. Contrasting with commercial networks In contrast, commercial networks tend to be amalgams due to business growth and changes, including a merger or acquisition, while prioritizing connectivity and data availability (and convenience). Economics and convenience generally drive commercial network decisions. Policy decisions, security, integrity, reliability and purpose drive military network decisions. In contrast to the government’s strict multi-tier network classification scheme, very large businesses often deploy only two-tier networks —one for corporate management and one for business operations. Some highly-regulated businesses, such as utility companies, banks and healthcare organizations have




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approach. Additionally, there is much greater use of high-end encryption in government networks than in commercial networks.

Photo courtesy of sdecoret/Shutterstock

network tiers that confine regulated data to specific networks. The critical infrastructure sector (energy, water/wastewater, transit, etc.) and higher education sector (universities and colleges) may sometimes deploy multi-tier networks – one for business, one for security and one for operations (SCADA) or maintenance. Many commercial organizations typically have a single ubiquitous network with an ill-defined network infrastructure framework, such as the Control Objectives for Information and Related Technologies (COBIT). Commercial network tiers are not as strictly defined and isolated as military networks, and businesses have more complex mechanisms for identity management layered on top of their networks; in contrast to the more rigorous built-in military

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A container approach One major difference between military and commercial networks is the ability to containerize the information and data residing on military systems. Carnegie Mellon University’s Software Engineering Institute developed an approach used to assess an organization’s information security needs. Known as OCTAVE Allegro, the method focuses on the information assets on a network. The breakthrough realization underlying OCTAVE Allegro is that security controls are not put directly on the data assets themselves, but on the ‘containers’ of the data. See Figure 1, which diagrams the OCTAVE Allegro process, in which the container identification step is highlighted. The container approach to information security assessment and planning provides a uniform way to address all three domains of information security: Physical (paper and physical media), electronic (computers, networks and telecommunications), and human memory (where people and process controls apply including responsibility assignments and legal contracts). Due to the highly-structured nature of military networks and their protocols, the network itself can be more easily treated as a ‘container’ than can be done for commercial networks. This approach can be more easily applied to military networks to identify important assets and assess them based on the information assets to which they are connected, enabling the DoD to apply security controls directly to those containers. Thus, the container concept is likely to be very helpful in managing, maintaining and improving cyber security effectiveness while network and communications technologies continue to advance, and are adopted and adapted for government and military use going forward. A consistent approach to cyber security evaluation and planning can be maintained despite underlying networking and communications technology continuing to rapidly change. Technology trends The combined effects of several technology trends - such as low power, miniaturization, software-defined networking, system on a chip (SoC), and mesh networking - are leading to network and communications products that have improved mobility, range, and resilience, and are more easily deployable. Consumer product trends now include self-configuring systems with strong certificate-based device authentication and end-to-end military grade encryption. Two key information technology megatrends are the exponential increase in technology capabilities and the exponential decrease in the cost of individual technology components. For example, contrast the cost and capabilities of




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today’s smartphones with the cost and capabilities of the best personal computers available 20 years ago. Many smartphone features were not available then at any cost. Overall, technology is trending in the direction of meeting and addressing many of the challenges faced today in military networking and communications. Challenges Carsten Brinkschulte, CEO of Core Network Dynamics, explains: “A key challenge to overcome is that while devices used by military personnel are mobile, the base stations of most current communication systems are stationery, that is they cannot move while in operations. For advanced flexibility and agile deployments, it would become essential to support a mobile network architecture, where the mobile network itself is mobile and can move while providing communication services. Another key issue is delivering a fully functional, reliable, resilient voice and data communications infrastructure that can be rapidly deployed and works wherever military personnel are, whether operating in built up urban areas or on mobile manoeuvres in remote, resource-constrained environments such as deserts or mountainous areas. It is also important to enable greater network reach, no matter what the terrain, and ensure coverage can be automatically extended as required. Another significant challenge is to avoid a single point of failure in the network architecture, however existing military communication systems are often relying on a centralized architecture with a single point of failure.” Emerging technologies Emerging technologies are appearing that have the potential to solve many of the challenges that currently constrain network and communications deployments.

For example, miniaturized, meshed networks, with multi-hop routing based on existing technology standards, could transform mission-critical military communications, once they are adapted for the advanced and special requirements of military use-cases. By creating small cells which are meshed together, military personnel could be provided a fully functional, miniaturized network wherever they go. Whether operating in built-up urban conurbations or remote areas with patchy or no network coverage, the mobile ‘bubble’ could move with them. And when such pocket-sized mobile networks are connected to other bubbles using mesh topology, it becomes a network of networks, dynamically extending the reach of the combined network with every bubble added. A local core network would also be more secure and resilient as it would have no dependency on centralized infrastructure. Again, such emerging technologies would have to be adapted to incorporate government communications security requirements, such as Type 1 and Type 2 cryptographic security. However, the general direction of technology advancement makes that easier to do with emerging technologies than with older network and communications products. Conclusion The differences between military and commercial network security are immense, but the opportunity for the DoD to use a container approach to security is a prime advantage. Given the type and sensitivity of information that is housed on DoD networks, security needs to be one of the top concerns. A properly designed and configured container approach will largely separate container security from underlying transport and access technologies. This approach can help to deliver the required security elements to help deliver on the DOD’s national security mission. GMC

Figure 1. The OCTAVE Allegro process

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Supporting demanding applications Per Vices builds the Crimson SDR platform; a high performance, multichannel, and phase coherent software defined radio that supports demanding applications in defence, telecommunication, and infrastructure markets. Amy Saunders spoke with Victor Wollesen, CEO at Per Vices, to find out more about the company’s development, market presence, and its outlook for the global military and government communications sector.

Victor Wollesen, CEO at Per Vices

Per Vices Corporation is a Canadian company headquar tered in Toronto, Ontario, developing high performance software defined radio (SDR) platforms that are designed specifically to exceed existing requirements for telecommunication providers, networking and wireless equipment OEMs, academic and research facilities, semiconductor manufacturers, information security analysts, defence and public safety providers.

GMC: Per Vices has pioneered SDR platforms over the years, earning a loyal customer base in many regions. What are the key milestones in Per Vices’ history in terms of advancing its products with new capabilities? Victor Wollesen: Though the company was founded in 2006, we launched our first commercial product in 2012. Originally called Phi (the name was later changed to Noctar), it supported independent receive and transmit channels, over 125MHz of instantaneous RF bandwidth, and communicated over a PCIe bus. The combination of price and performance helped drive great media coverage, which helped drive our subsequent products. Two years later, we released the first iteration of our Crimson platform. Incorporating many customer suggestions, we increased the number of independent receive and transmit channels to four, increased the tuning range to 6GHz, and improved the maximum instantaneous stare bandwidth to over 300MHz. These changes saw us move to a rack-mountable 1U form factor, and a dual 10Gbps optical interface for passing data. These features helped drive additional customer interest, and saw our platform integrated into high performance products within defence, telecommunications, and test and measurement markets. They also helped shape the latest revision of our Crimson platform, released in 2016, and that includes additional support for phase coherency, sample rate clocking, and better radio chain performance. This release has already been incorporated into various product lines, including radar systems, low latency communication links, and defence applications. Seeing our product used in such diverse applications has also informed our support and marketing strategies. We’ve recently released a new ‘Build Your Own SDR’ tool that allows product engineers to get budgetary pricing on product variations based on our existing platform, to better illustrate the value and performance our platform is capable of. GMC: Per Vices’ latest creation, Crimson TNG, was launched in 2016. What can you tell us about customer feedback to date, and the potential for future iterations? Victor Wollesen: We place significant value on customer feedback and support. The feedback we receive from our customers, along with the support we provide, help us build a better product, and directly inform our development road map. The technology and architecture that allow us to deliver wide-band radio performance and integrate complex DSP also provide the largest basis for user

GMC Q&A

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Photo courtesy of Per Vices



feedback – from design suggestions, to feature requests that are common across different applications. Among the major features we introduced with Crimson TNG was support for phase deterministic latency, including modes that support constant phase offsets between channels, and support for various types of triggers. Our sales process sees many first-time customers purchase a unit, analyze its performance against their target specifications, and request hardware, firmware, or software customizations to ease integration gaps or close demanding radio specifications. This usually involves changes to firmware, hardware, or software, which we can support using our rapid development capabilities. We’re currently working on specifying our next model, and it looks like it will see increases in channel count, bandwidth, and tunable LO range. GMC: What can you tell us about the full support for deterministic phase coherency and latency you recently launched? Victor Wollesen: The latest revisions of Crimson TNG now provide support for known, constant, deterministic latency between transmit and receive channels. This allows users to transmit the same signal, over all four transmit channels, and see a constant phase offset at each channel output. This is a major feature for applications working with phased arrays or supporting signal reconstruction, and represents a big step forward in enabling an entirely new suite of applications to use our product. GMC: How big a role does SDR play in the battlefield today? Victor Wollesen: SDR enables the intelligence, communication, and offensives capabilities that are undeniably critical to effective conduct of modern warfare. Examining the signal intelligence, radio communication, and electronic warfare requirements necessary to conduct and support modern deployments, it is straight forward to see that they all share a common requirement to send, receive, and analyze radio signals. The current capabilities provided by modern semiconductor technology suggest that SDR platforms are the leading candidates for delivering the performance required by these applications, without compromising the power, weight, or reliability constrains needed for effective field deployment. GMC: How have your vertical and geographical markets changed in recent years, and where do you see new opportunities in the near future? Victor Wollesen: Our earliest customers were focused in academic, telecommunications, and research markets. Since the release of our Crimson platform, we’ve seen our share of the defence, telecommunications, radar, and test and measurement markets increase substantially, with a number of successful product integrations by customers. We are fortunate to have a wide geographical distribution of customers. Though the majority of our customers are located in North America, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand, we also value our South American and Asian customers, who are rapidly growing and face challenging technical requirements, especially in the defence and telecommunication space.

GMC: Size, weight and power (SWaP) are key to military operations all over the world. How is Per Vices designing its products to deliver the best benefit to end users in the field? Victor Wollesen: All of our designs attempt to balance the size, weight, and power constraints against cost. We firmly believe that successful, widely deployed, products need to also be able to compete on price and value. Our stock products are designed to provide the best value at the lowest cost – customers purchasing our hardware, or looking to integrate us into their systems, recognize the benefit of this approach. Our Crimson platform has a very modular design, making it straight forward for us to accommodate specific requirements. By focusing on core application and integration requirements we not only deliver a unit capable of supporting the desired application, but we do so economically. Delivering a platform that focuses on meeting essential design specifications allows us to deliver tremendous value and unit economics. This focus has directly contributed to a number of successful integrations, and earned us very positive feedback. GMC: What are the biggest trends you’re seeing in terms of the digital battlefield right now, and where does Per Vices fit within that? Victor Wollesen: As the consequence of allowing the current electronic supremacy to lapse increases, there has been an increased focus in developing the tools, technologies, and applications required to preserve current capabilities. This is most evident when focusing on latency and bandwidth requirements, along with the integration of complex signal processing requirements. SDR platforms play a major role in ensuring that we are able to meet the technological challenges required to support these operations, especially as others are adopting similar technologies. This extends to man portable radio systems, vehicle-deployed platforms, and temporary or permanent fixed site infrastructure. Our products are the best choice for delivering on the most demanding radio application requirements in this space, and provide integrators and operators with tremendous value and a strong platform capable of supporting future applications. GMC: What do you expect Per Vices to achieve in the rest of 2017 and 2018? Victor Wollesen: There is not much standing still in this industry, so we are already looking at designing and releasing another product iteration over the next 18 months. We’re looking to focus our development with the launch of our ‘Build Your Own SDR’ tool. This tool allows customers to modify the base Crimson system, and provides immediate pricing feedback. This allows engineers and customers to specify a target system and immediately obtain budgetary pricing feedback, without requiring an email address, submitting formal specifications, or waiting for feedback. It also allows them to easily communicate those specifications to us if they choose to. We’re still working on making it a bit more granular, but we think it’s a great starting point to helping us make sure we’re GMC effectively focusing our core product development.

Photo courtesy of Per Vices


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EchoStar XIX. Photo courtesy of EchoStar

Extending government modernization to the network’s edge High speed Internet connectivity is a service that many of us have come to take for advantage today, enabling us to stream media content, stay in touch with loved ones, shop online, and work effectively from home. However, one of the most surprising aspects of modern day connectivity is that many governments and enterprises aren’t getting anything like the speed of service delivered to consumer homes, making connectivity a major challenge to operations on a dayto-day basis. Here, Tony Bardo, Assistant Vice President of Hughes Government Solutions, outlines the lackluster services often delivered to government and enterprise customers today, and how satellite can provide an effective solution. Despite the many pushes for government IT modernization over the past few years, legacy technology remains entrenched in too many agency networks— underperforming yet expensive, with even basic functionalities like high-speed Internet connectivity often lagging behind enterprise or consumer standards. Network modernization challenges The Government Accountability Office has reported that the federal government spends more than 75 percent of its total IT budget on operating and maintaining legacy technology, which is not only delaying but actively damaging the modernization process. Even though identified by agency CIOs as being moderate to high risk, ongoing support of legacy technology has meant increased spending of around nine percent of overall budgets since 2010, while investments in moder nization and enhancement have actually fallen by a collective US$7.5 billion. Without even getting into the resulting negative impact of limited or no services to constituents because of old technology limitations, this lockjaw condition shouts out that government desperately needs more innovation. The low-hanging opportunity can be found at the edge sites of the agency network. While terrestrial broadband infrastructure continues to remain unavailable in many rural areas— despite ongoing public pushes – the fact is that a viable alternative for providing the level of connectivity that agencies need to

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efficiently achieve their missions does exist in the form of satellite broadband. Unfor tunately, the largest impediment to implementing this solution – which today offers high-quality, affordable connectivity nationwide – is lack of awareness. Many simply still don’t understand that satellite broadband in fact closes the so-called digital divide i.e., being unserved or underserved by terrestrial broadband in lower-density areas because of the high cost of building out infrastructure. Broadband regardless of location This myopia has too often resulted in agencies buying and ‘stacking’ terrestrial T1 lines to overcome insufficient bandwidth, which is tantamount to throwing good money after bad. Given that a single T1 line is limited to speeds of only 1.54Mbps each and costs hundreds of dollars per month (with escalated costs for remote locations), it’s not difficult to conclude that this is not a prudent way to spend taxpayer money chasing broadband comparable to what many of us receive in our homes. Enter satellite broadband, which in fact has been available for the past decade with superior performance and today at much lower cost. Indeed, it’s an ideal solution for agencies facing considerable budget cuts and the upcoming Enterprise Infrastructure Solutions (EIS) contract transition, which is now forcing them to seek cutting-edge alternatives that can both reduce costs and improve performance. As a case in point, instead of continuing to stack multiple T1 lines, a logical alternative which many progressive enterprises



have discovered is to choose a trusted provider to implement managed broadband, which integrates existing core (MPLS, for instance) networks together with satellite and wireless in the most cost-effective and advantageous hybrid architecture. The fundamental difference in build-out costs between terrestrial and satellite is that the former is dependent on distance, whereas satellite connectivity remains the same everywhere under its coverage area. As a result, a location even a few miles away from the nearest terrestrial switching or traffic aggregation point will likely cost more to connect than by installing a compact satellite terminal, including modem and external antenna. The next generation of high throughput satellite service Unfortunately, for many government agencies this has been a well-kept secret. Today’s satellite technology boasts unprecedented performance thanks to the continuous innovation by a thriving global satellite industry. Indeed, the FCC recently recognized that satellite broadband in the form of the new generation HughesNet service is the only Internet connectivity

delivering 25Mbps download speeds coast-to-coast. Operating over EchoStar XIX—launched in December 2016, the largest broadband satellite in the world with over 200Gbps capacity— and two earlier high-throughput satellites, HughesNet now serves over one million residential and business subscribers. And it is equally available to agencies at a mere fraction of the cost it would take to stack T1 lines to reach the 25Mbps and even higher tiers of speed. As agencies continue to see a rise in network traffic with more connected devices and more cloud-based applications, the expensive yet limited bandwidth from legacy network technologies is clearly not sustainable. Agencies are right to start considering how they can use current government vehicles, such as the GSA’s Schedule 70 and Networx Enterprise Contract, in lieu of waiting for future avenues, like the planned EIS award to address their network challenges today. It’s encouraging to see procurement officials intelligently leverage limited budgets for maximized return on investment as this will help agencies to do more with less during this critical period of GMC IT modernization.

Rheinmetall and Paravan enter global cooperation agreement The Rheinmetall technology group, represented by Rheinmetall Landsysteme GmbH, has joined forces with Paravan GmbH, a market leader in drive-by-wire technologies, to cooperate in the field of autonomous driving. The partners plan to design and develop semi and fully automatic platforms for military and dual-use applications as well as civilian emergency response vehicles for protecting, rescuing and keeping people safe in acute high-risk situations and disaster zones. This pioneering cooperation agreement lays the groundwork for the rapid development of remotely controlled, automated, and future autonomous systems. Representatives of the two companies have now signed a wide-ranging agreement covering cooperation both at home and abroad. One of the foremost manufacturers in this forward-looking field, Paravan has been developing drive-by-wire control technologies for over 15 years. This technology is a crucial prerequisite for future autonomous driving at the highest level (level 5), where no driver is necessary. Patented, fail-safe and roadworthy, these systems feature an independent power supply. In the last five years alone, Paravan has prepared and equipped over 200 test vehicles, preseries vehicles and show cars for autonomous driving on behalf of renowned automobile manufacturers and auto parts makers around the world. These modular, fail-safe systems consist of software, actuators, interface management and integrated sensors. As a result, these systems can be readily adapted to the needs of system manufacturers like Rheinmetall as well as major automotive companies and parts makers. Paravan’s special expertise lies in the redundant digital control of steering, accelerating and braking as well as supplying interfaces for digitization, GPS, control computers, cameras, radar and sensors. Today Paravan drive-by-wire technology already meets the Europe-wide criteria contained in the regulations ECE-R 79, ECE-R 10 and ECE-R 13. Besides autonomous driving, Paravan technology eliminates the need for a steering column, enabling a complete rethink when it comes to the design of vehicle interiors as well as creating scope for entirely new future vehicle concepts. GMC


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Figure 1. Hub network

Multi-hop wireless mesh networks for V2V/ M2M: Network testing challenges and solutions Manufacturers and designers of vehicle-to-vehicle (VTV) communications equipment and networks can face significant ‘lab logistics’ challenges in testing and validating RF signals for mesh network topologies. David K. Chan, Vice President of Sales & Marketing for Quintech Electronics, Inc, discusses test lab challenges and how test engineers have found they can achieve dramatically reduced test schedules and increased accuracy in RF link testing for mesh networks. The key to achieving these results has been the use of new advanced RF matrix switch test and measurement systems. In military operations, when convoys, command centers, UVs, supplies, soldiers and vehicles are brought to an area where there are no reliable communications infrastructure, mesh networks can allow for these distributed assets to connect to each other via voice, video and data without the constraints associated with traditional wired and shortwave radio networks. Mesh networks offer advantages for military vehicle-to-vehicle field communications. They provide flexibility for establishing and maintaining reliable communications, even when network nodes are partially lost due to terrain or weather or if frequencies are being jammed. However, the ability of mesh networks to rapidly adapt, self-heal, and meet on-the-move and other requirements also creates challenges in testing, validating and verifying network resiliency. Terrestrial wireless mesh network connectivity requirements

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have been part of the military communications landscape since line-of-sight radios and hub and spoke networks could no longer meet the reliable communications requirements needed for today’s modern warfare. For example, the US Marine Air Ground Task Force has been using mesh networks for the Networking on the Move (NOTM) command and control capabilities since 2009. A number of new requirements are increasing the rate of demand for wireless mesh networks in military communications. The evolution of military field communications has grown to include live video, voice and data over wireless digital data networks that require very large uplink and downlink bandwidths. Over-the-air (OTA) networks for field personnel are typically mission critical and require over 99.999 percent resiliency in a mobile environment. The network needs to be flexible to allow



Figure 2. Full mesh network

nodes to maintain connectivity as they change distance with respect to each other and as the terrain changes and interferes with the line-of-sight. A mobile wireless mesh network can be established where no infrastructure exists and enable mobile assets to seamlessly leave and join the network. Multi-hop wireless mesh networks that are mobile, ad-hoc, self-forming and self-healing can support a full range of situational awareness data. Hub-based networks Basic hub (also known as Star) networks rely upon a central server and substations to manage traffic between nodes (Figure 1). This network configuration contains single points of failure that then requires redundancy designs to maintain network connectivity. For some field applications, the resiliency requirements will dictate redundancies that are very costly. The hub and number of substations need to be planned in advance to accommodate the changing configuration of the network where the number and distance between the nodes and hub and substations will change. If there are not enough substations built into the network, there is a risk that the nodes will lose connectivity. Mesh networks A mesh network integrates a subset of server capabilities into each node, so that each node in a full mesh network can have a point-to-point connection with another node, and also each

Figure 3. Partial Mesh network, nodes have limited nearest neighbor connections


node can pass the data packet along to the next node. As there are multiple paths available to make a point-to-point connection, a mesh network will always be able to make and maintain a connection, even with the loss of a node. Figure 2 shows an 8port full mesh network where each node can have 7 direct connections. In a real life wireless mesh network, a full mesh network is dependent upon the distance between nodes. As the distance between nodes increases or the line of sight is lost, the connection between nodes will be lost. Figure 3 shows an example of a partial mesh network where nodes have a limited number of nearest neighbour connections due to signal level connectivity. As the nodes move relative to each other, the network connections will change depending on detected signal strength. Nodes that move away from each other will have decreased signal level until connectivity can no longer be maintained. Nodes that move toward each other will have increased signal level to a point where a connection is made. The mesh network can accommodate these changes. The ‘server intelligence’ built into each node is limited in comparison to a full server. In a partial mesh network, a node can have a connection with a node that is not its nearest neighbour by having its nearest neighbour pass the packet along to its next nearest neighbour and so on until the packet reaches its intended node. Depending upon the intelligence of the server, it can route the packet along the shortest path, or, it can be routed along a ‘random walk’ path until it reaches its intended node. The number of different paths will affect the time (latency) for the packet to reach its intended node. For many networks, the latency can be critical to the speed of the network. Time division multiple access (TDMA) networks share the same frequency channel by assigning different time slots to send packets between network nodes. In a military radio application, a TDMA network might also use multiple channels to transport signals, e.g. a 40Gbps bandwidth can consist of four channels of 10Gbps signals, providing a throughput total of 40Gbps. The packets that are transmitted are expected to arrive within a predefined tolerance (which is dependent upon bandwidth) of each other. If there is too much delay between packets, an error occurs and the system is required to ask for the packets to be resent. The latency tolerance can be increased using forward error correction (FEC). A hub network relies on the substations to route the packets toward the intended target. The substations can be subject to delays due to heavy packet traffic, which can increase the transmission latency. A mesh network minimizes latency with a one hop connection when available. Packet routing in a mesh network has additional complications as nodes can be added or dropped at any time. Due to spatial and line-of-sight constraints, the mesh network is most likely a partial mesh configuration, where each node has a limited number of nearest neighbours. The number of nearest neighbours can change over time as the nodes move with respect to each other. Dynamic configuration presents many challenges for packet routing, and TDMA networks need to be able to adjust to the changing number of nodes, number of nearest neighbors, etc. To ensure that the network meets the resiliency requirements, it is imperative that the firmware is able

Figure 4. String network

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Figure 5. Mesh Networks that can be rapidly simulated using the Quintech NEXUS matrix switch a) Full Mesh

to adapt to the constantly changing network configuration as well as have the intelligence to recalculate the shortest path. Firmware needs to be tested and verified on a network where the number of nodes, the distance between nodes and the nearest neighbour connectivity are changing. A simple base line test configuration of packet hopping through multiple nodes would be a string configuration (Figure 4). Testing mesh RF signals The time and cost to demonstrate a live system can be very high, and successful lab verification of the mesh network is critical prior a live demonstration. Emulation of terrestrial RF wireless signals in a test bed requires shielding of the signals from outside commercial signals and other sources of electromagnetic interference by transporting the RF signals over coaxial cable. A mesh test system requires the use of a splitter at every device node that is interconnected to all the other nodes. An attenuator at each node is needed to vary the signal strength. It is long and tedious to manually change cable connections between nodes and vary the signal levels. An RF mesh test matrix, such as Quintech’s NEXUS brand of Test & Measurement switches, allows node-to-node Layer 1 connectivity that emulates connections of the RF signals between nodes. The NEXUS matrix switches integrate the splitters, attenuators and switches

Figure 5 b). Partial Mesh

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into a remotely controlled chassis. Figure 5 shows real world scenarios of a) full mesh, b) partial mesh and c) string networks that are rapidly configured using the NEXUS mesh matrix switch. The NEXUS provides any node to any node connections and allows distance between nodes to be emulated using variable attenuators to adjust the signal levels. The Quintech NEXUS matrix is an industry proven non-blocking RF matrix switch that can connect any A port to any B port with independent 0-60 dB variable attenuation per connection. The addition of a splitter array enables any node to any node connectivity to fully implement the mesh network topology. The NEXUS mesh matrix is an inherently modular design that provides excellent scalability and can be configured to support 8, 16, 32, 64 and 128 nodes. Link parameters such as link path loss and connectivity (on/off) for any node to node can be changed in milliseconds. Test engineers are able to emulate joining, leaving, grouping and splitting of mesh networks using the NEXUS’ mesh matrix ability to provide real time switching and attenuation of all the radio links individually. A test engineer or team can use the NEXUS mesh matrix to develop, analyze and verify the upper layer protocols in multiple realistic configurations and test the mesh network’s resilience under dynamic configurations. In one successful example of the use by the US armed forces, a provider of fighter aircraft avionics and navigation radio systems and vehicle mount military radios needed to validate and certify their new product for compliance with Joint Tactical Radio Systems (JTRS) Software Communications Architecture, and “to leverage its expertise in more than 50 waveforms and functions used on advanced networks and platforms” to create a battlefield communications radio for the US military. The system needed to support on-the-move communications using a broad range of RF communications technology and missions. By using Quintech’s mesh matrix testing solution, the hardware supplier could rapidly test the mission’s baseline waveforms, such as WNW, SR, cross-banding and channel bandings, as well as future waveforms such as SINCGARS, V/ U LOS, UHF SATCOM, and MOUS. Performance testing of packet loss, latency and throughput can be measured much more efficiently and accurately with this automated solution compared with manually changing patch panels between test measurements. By using these kinds of test solutions, engineers have been able to test many more configurations in much fewer lab days and hours, with cases of four-fold productivity gains. The ability to efficiently validate and test complex RF link scenarios can be expected to remain an important requirement for equipment and network builders as they address evolving market demands for vehicle-to-vehicle radio equipment and networks. GMC

Figure 5 c). String




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