INTEROPERABLE DoD WIRELESS TECHNOLOGY MAKING ITS WAY TO MARKET
Advanced radio technology being used to bolster interoperability of Dept. of Defense (DoD) land, sea and satellite communications systems eventually will make its way into commercial markets, said Kevin Kane, Harris Corp.’s business development dir.-U.S. govt. Harris, which is primary contractor for DoD’s joint tactical radio system (JTRS) program, had provided some equipment to govt. rescue operations after Sept. 11 terrorist attack because of such capabilities, he said Wed. in news conference at Armed Forces Communications & Electronics Assn. (AFCEA) convention in Washington. That technology served as “virtual retransmission bridge” and improved interoperability “of dissimilar radios used by different agencies,” he said. “We will see more of that” getting in hands of other govt. organizations, but Harris must focus first on delivering JTRS to military market, Kane said.
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Kane said ability of warfighters to communicate seamlessly via disparate systems around globe, which DoD refers to as “network-centric warfare,” still was in its infancy. JTRS, which can be reprogrammed with new encryption algorithms and other upgraded capabilities, will serve as one of DoD’s “major thrusts” in accomplishing its interoperability goals. Kane’s assertion echoed similar theme expressed in first day of AFCEA event by Major Gen. Steve Boutelle (USA), dir.-Information Operations, Networks & Space. He said that although DoD was capable of globally disseminating voice, video and data, it needed to reach out to industry for advances in information dissemination and network management (CD June 12 p5). He said that was critical to achieving Pentagon’s vision of ubiquitous network-centric warfare capabilities.
JTRS uses encrypted “software-defined” technology to enable computer-to-radio communications, and contains embedded satellite Internet-protocols that make network-to- network communications possible, Harris Pres. Chester Massari said. In addition to voice transmissions, current generation JTRS handsets and “manpacks” also provide e-mail capabilities to warfighters, he said. Engineering & Multiband Radios Dir. Mark Turner said company had developed open-standards architecture that would ensure linkage of different hardware and standards from multiple contractors involved in project. Interoperability platform for JTRS has been tested as viable, but will continue to evolve, he said. Product Management Dir. Andrew Adams said built-in flexibility enabled DoD “to add features over time,” including introduction of new waveforms into JTRS gear. He said that ability to progressively introduce such changes to JTRS equipment “aligns with the DoD’s preference for an evolutionary acquisition strategy.” Undersecy. Pete Aldridge affirmed preference in recent letter to Harris, Adams said. About 15,000 JTRS units have been delivered to Pentagon and next- generation equipment is scheduled for delivery in summer 2003, he said.
Continuing dialog between DoD and industry is necessary to find solution “in the relative short term” to Defense interoperability needs, Joint Chiefs of Staff official said in separate presentation. Lt. Gen. Joseph Kellogg (USA), dir.-Command, Control, Communications & Computer Systems, said interoperability must be accomplished by 2005, which he said “is not short-term for industry, but is for the military.”
Army Chief Information Officer Lt. Gen. Peter Cuviello said swift interoperability of DoD’s growing Global Information Grid would support international operations as well as homeland security responsibilities. Although he didn’t elaborate on challenges specific to JTRS, he described evolving program as “painful.” Despite what he characterized as slow-moving process, he said: “We will make a difference when we finally get that wideband network equipment.”