Small Form Fit Joint Tactical Radios exceed expectations in quantitative government field tests
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Oct. 3 /PRNewswire/ -- The General Dynamics C4 Systems
Handheld, Manpack and Small Form Fit (HMS) radios have demonstrated their
critical networked-communications capabilities in recent government-run Joint
Tactical Radio System (JTRS) field tests. The tests have proven the radios'
interoperability, range, video transmission and networking abilities. Each of
those capabilities is critical to accomplishing the Department of Defense's
transformational objectives of increasing connectivity among warfighters and
military units.
General Dynamics C4 Systems, a business unit of General Dynamics
(NYSE: GD), is the prime contractor for the JTRS HMS program.
'The results of these tests validate that JTRS HMS will transform the
battlefield by bringing secure wideband communications and situational
awareness to dismounted soldiers at the front of the fight,' said Army COL
Daniel Hughes, Ground Domain program manager for the Joint Program Executive
Office JTRS.
Characterized by their small, light and power-efficient design, HMS radios
work for close-combat tactical communication and are easier for soldiers to
carry or wear compared to currently deployed legacy radios. They can also be
embedded in new lightweight sensors, robots and unmanned aerial vehicles. The
HMS radios all have the same core design but take on different functionality
and physical shape depending on the unique mission.
The HMS radios are setting a new standard for meeting
battlefield-networking requirements compared to all other available radios. A
recent field experiment at Ft. Huachuca, Ariz., for example, featured a
2-channel Manpack HMS radio exceeding a 20-kilometer range requirement test
and transmitting voice and data over rugged terrain and rough conditions. The
Manpack HMS radio is also part of an ongoing field experiment in Lakehurst,
N.J. Using the new, highly-advanced Soldier Radio Waveform to uniquely format
information, the Manpack HMS radio successfully has transmitted voice, video,
data and messages to 25 nodes simulating soldiers operating within a single
network.
The HMS radios also are achieving other key JTRS requirements, such as
communicating with existing, widely used Single Channel Ground and Airborne
Radio System (SINCGARS) radios, transmitting video while embedded in unmanned
aerial vehicles and communicating with radios mounted in mobile ground
vehicles.
The JTRS HMS 1-channel radio for ground soldiers, the Small Form Fit - C
(SFF-C) Version 1, or 'Rifleman Radio,' is scheduled for user evaluation by
the U.S. Army's Evaluation Task Force at Fort Bliss, Texas, next month.
General Dynamics will demonstrate the HMS radios' networking capability at
the Association of the United States Army Conference in Washington, D.C. in
early October.
General Dynamics C4 Systems is a leading integrator of secure
communication and information systems and technology. With more than 10,000
employees worldwide, the company specializes in command and control,
communications networking, computing and information assurance for defense,
government and select commercial customers in the United States and abroad.
General Dynamics, headquartered in Falls Church, Va., employs
approximately 84,600 people worldwide and anticipates 2008 revenues of
approximately $29.5 billion. The company is a market leader in business
aviation; land and expeditionary combat systems, armaments and munitions;
shipbuilding and marine systems; and information systems and technologies.
More information about the company is available on the Internet at
www.generaldynamics.com.
SOURCE General Dynamics C4 Systems
