Armada’s monthly roundup of all the latest news in the military communications product, programme and operational domains.
LOCADA RAT Terminals for US Army
On 23rd June Thales announced it had won a contract from the United States Army to provide up to 5,000 of the company’s Low-Cost Data Architecture (LOCADA) Radio Adaptable Transport (RAT) terminals. The LOCADA RAT terminals are installed in existing army vehicular radio mounts. According to a press release sharing the news, the system “provides soldiers with a reliable, adaptable communications capability they can depend on across any mission and environment”.
In addition, LOCADA RAT supports “single-channel, multi-channel, and multi-transport operational modes” and works with a vehicle’s standard power supply, global navigation satellite system position, navigation and timing terminal, and audio and data connections. The LOCADA RAT terminals use TrellisWare’s TSM mobile ad-hoc networking waveform and encrypted sensitive but unclassified wideband and narrowband voice and data communications.
Paul Mehney, Thales’ defence and security subsidiary’s vice president for strategy, told Armada that LOCADA RAT can work with any existing radio in use with the US Army or partner nations. For example, any vehicle with a standard Single Channel Ground and Airborne Radio System (SINCGARS) mount can be furnished with the LOCADA RAT. In fact, the system forms part of the army’s overall modernisation of its SINCGARS infrastructure. Moreover, the terminal supports any future transceiver the US Army will acquire as per its Next Generation Command and Control initiative. LOCADA RAT deliveries will commence in autumn although “there is no conclusion date as the army is programmed to continue potential procurement”, Mr. Mehney added.
Radio Head
TrellisWare has launched its TW-145 Digital Radio Head, the company announced in June. A press release said that the TW-145 is a “a vehicular radio system designed to simplify integration of mobile ad-hoc networking communications on tactical vehicle platforms”. The system is installed on a platform’s external antenna mount and employs a single power and ethernet data cable.
“By mounting the radio directly below the antenna, the system significantly reduces radio frequency cable loss,” TrellisWare told Armada via a written statement. This improves “radiated power efficiency while freeing valuable space inside the vehicle”. Using Very/Ultra-High Frequencies (30 megahertz/MHz to 520MHz) the TW-145 has an internet protocol-based architecture to integrate the vehicle’s intercom, command and control applications, and beyond line-of-sight communications. The system also supports TrellisWare’s TSM and Katana tactical communication waveforms with embedded communications and transmission security protocols.
Alongside these waveforms, the system “supports traditional narrowband analogue amplitude modulation/frequency modulation line-of-sight communications, enabling interoperability with legacy radios”. Future augmentations for the TW-145 are expected: “As a software-defined radio platform, the TW-145 will continue to receive additional waveform capabilities and software enhancements over the next year as part of future software releases”. TW-145 sales have already been concluded and with “multiple customers” including “a significant order from an international customer”. Deliveries commenced in May and are continuing.
by Dr Thomas Withington
