C4I Datalinks: TCDL technology to boost situation awareness | ADM Nov 08

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Transmitting video imagery from airborne sensors to ADF troops on the ground is a neat way of letting them, and others, know what lies ahead - so long as their terminals can decode and possibly redistribute the complex data stream coming down the pipe.
Tom Muir

Elbit’s mini-UAV, the Skylark, operated by our forces in Southern Afghanistan, in close combat or reconnaissance situations does a great job of looking over the hill and beaming back images of what’s going on down the road, such as the emplacement of IEDs or suspicious hostiles.

But longer range and more persistent views of the broader battlespace are within the realm of Boeing’s contractor-supported ScanEagle.

Unlike mini-UAVs, this 4-foot aircraft with 10-foot wingspan can keep its sensors on a pre-set target or flight path for extended periods of hours without requiring operator intervention.

Its gimballed camera allows the operator to easily track stationary and moving targets, including enemy combatants, vehicles, roads, buildings and other hot spots.

And if our or Coalition forces need even more over-land or maritime surveillance, then we have our AP-3C maritime patrol aircraft equipped with extraordinarily capable EO/IR systems, employing multiple cameras, beaming down a wealth of still and moving colour imagery, at extraordinary rates of resolution.

But on the ground things are different.

The Skylark has its own ground station for the detection and display of imagery, as does the ScanEagle, neither being compatible with each other although a proposed upgrade to ScanEagle will include compatability with Rover III, L-3’s forward terminal that displays sensor data, including moving video from multiple airborne platforms, including the AP-3C via the Tactical Common Data Link (TCDL) now being installed.

Nevertheless such information can be acted upon quickly. Our Special Forces in Afghanistan are equipped with a range of communications systems, including the Harris 117 (AN/PRC 117) which has a digital bearer capability and has waveform compatibility with RAAF and Navy radio systems.

It is used by SASR for call for fires and air support operations, often cued from the air picture supplied by ADF or Coalition systems.

However, in calling for air support, it would be better if the tactical air controller/forward observer, and the air vehicle operator/pilot, were looking at the same picture.

In USMC service this is being achieved at the troop level through the fielding of forward video receivers linked to air platform sensors.

The TCDL program

The Common Data Link (CDL) denotes a family of full-duplex, asymmetric, jam-resistant, point-to-point microwave communication links developed by the US back in the 1970s and used in imagery and signals intelligence (SIGINT) collection systems.

TCDL is a narrow-band version of CDL but is evolving into a relatively low-cost, full-bandwidth version.

In the US, the TCDL program was introduced to provide a family of interoperable, secure, digital data links for use with both manned and unmanned airborne reconnaissance platforms.

Rapid growth in the development of secure, digital TCDLs for use with both manned and unmanned airborne reconnaissance platforms, has tended to focus on ensuring interoperability and thus common standards for TCDL-equipped platforms in US military service.

What is not immediately apparent is the extent to which TCDL applications will meet ABCA or NATO standards and where TCDL lies where Coalition interoperability is concerned.

This has now prompted Defence to seek help from the Defence-Industry RPDE organisation for advice on issues arising from the acquisition and implementation of TCDL technologies.

RPDE to the fray

In mid-September a newly formed RPDE industry team held their first workshop on RPDE’s Quicklook program on Common Data Link (CDL) and Tactical Common Data Link (TCDL) technologies.

As distinct from their Task approach to filling Defence capability gaps, which may offer a number of solutions and may take from six to nine months, the Quicklook aims to rapidly bring industry specialists together to workshop a problem or series of issues confronting Defence, often in the very early phase of a procurement project.

Defence may gain the benefit of this heads-together approach in four to six weeks.

According to RPDE, Quicklook 33 will seek industry (ie RPDE members) advice, guidance and practices relating to interoperability and support issues that may impact on current and future procurement of CDL/TCDL technologies.

This will inform Defence planning for implementation of Defence projects that utilise these links.

Defence is seeking more information to better inform implementation of Defence projects that will use these technologies, examples being AIR 7000 (Multi-role UAV), AIR 5276 (P-3 upgrade) and JP 129 (Tactical UAV).

Against the backdrop of eliciting industry advice and comment regarding interoperability and support issues, we presume discussion included the current status of CDL/TCDL technology and Australian Industry’s capacity to support it in terms of personnel, knowledge and tools.

Defence will also want to know where CDL/TCDL technology is evolving to meet future demands for wideband dissemination of Intelligence Surveillance Reconnaissance (ISR) data and other data.

TCDL developments

In the US the TCDL development program has moved very swiftly from an initial study, followed by the design and development of prototype terminals, successfully demonstrated first in Predator and Hunter UAVs, and TCDL’s wider fielding to P-3, LAMPS, and other manned and unmanned airborne systems with a growing list of user nations.

Harris Corporation, BAE Systems, Rockwell Collins and L-3 Communications, won early US development contracts but in a few short years L-3 Comms West expanded its capabilities in global broadband radio and satellite communications and high data rate secure radio communications and now claims to be the world’s leading supplier of CDL and TCDL systems.

We suspect that L-3 is seeking ABCA standardisation for its TCDL developments.

Cubic has also moved quickly to position itself in the CDL/TCDL market with the development of high speed datalink systems for various UAVs, including the AAI Predator and the Northrop Grumman Scout.

Cubic teamed with Ultra Electronics to produce the High Integrity Data Link for NATO’s UAV program.

It provides control of up to four UAVs simultaneously and can operate from confined areas.

Cubic also provides its TCDL systems for the UK’s Watchkeeper program, based on Elbit’s Hermes 450 which is designed to meet UK’s requirement for a network enabled capability.

The system will provide 24/7 surveillance in all weathers without the need to deploy troops in sensitive or harmful environments.

TCDL related projects

As earlier indicated the introduction of TCDL is relevant to a number of projects including AIR 5276 AP-3C, the JP 129 Tactical UAV and the AIR 7000 Multi-role UAV, which are or will be using TCDLs to transmit tactical and strategic sensor data.

The AP-3C Orion aircraft provides vital support to Coalition forces overseas, which can include tracking people, vehicles and ships of interest, and protecting vital infrastructure.

This role is for Overland Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance, which marks a relatively new capability for the ADF.

Spurred by the need for Coalition interoperability, Australian AP-3C aircraft deployed to the Middle East for both maritime and overland surveillance in Iraq and later Afghanistan, required enhancements to their sensors and the means to transmit aerial visuals direct to ground forces or maritime elements.

The TCDL system provides significantly enhanced situational awareness across the battle space by allowing real-time mission system video and data to be transmitted to joint air, ship and ground forces.

One of the first moves was to upgrade the installed EO/IR system to a fully integrated version of the FLIR Systems Star Safire III EO/IR system in those aircraft destined for service in the Gulf.

The Safire III is one of the world’s most popular gyro-stabilized EO/IR systems and is in wide use by US military, NATO and nations worldwide.

To transmit the Safire III’s very high fidelity colour video and infrared images all 18 aircraft were ‘fitted for but not with’ TCDL capabilities.

This would enable AP-3C crews to provide commanders on the ground with real-time video imagery well beyond line-of-sight over ranges of more than 150 nautical miles.

In line with the original concept of acquiring systems only for those aircraft to be operationally deployed a small number of systems were acquired initially, with the idea of shifting these between aircraft heading towards or returning from the Middle East.

Under the AIR 5276 Capability Assurance Program (CAP) previous unapproved elements of the AP-3C upgrade project were restructured into various CAP blocks. Under CAP 1, the EO/IR system was upgraded (as described) and the P-3 Accord team (BAE Systems Defence and Australian Aerospace) was tasked to rapidly acquire and deliver an Operational Support Tactical Common Data Link (OS TCDL) capability for AP-3C aircraft deployed to the MEAO.

Design approval for the prototype modified aircraft was achieved in just over four months - reportedly on time and under budget.

Defence Minister Joel Fitzgibbon subsequently announced that TCDL would be introduced on all AP-3C aircraft under the $68 million CAP1 project.

The introduction of TCDL technology means that detailed, aerial visuals of an area can be beamed to ground troops, day or night, to help identify hostile or suspicious activities.

This has never been successfully done by any major Australian Defence systems to date, let alone from an aircraft to individual soldiers.

ROVER impresses

It appears that the ADF has been greatly impressed by the capabilities of L-3’s Remotely Operated Video Enhanced Receiver (ROVER) data terminal and we believe some 25 ROVER III systems have been acquired through DMO’s rapid acquisition process, with possibly many more to come.

It is anticipated that air vehicle surveillance data, including streaming video, will be received in realtime by ADF troops on the ground, including SF in Afghanistan, using these ROVER terminals.

As we have seen, such information will supplement the targeting and other data received from Skylark and ScanEagle UAV sensor operations.

ROVER III is a portable receive-only terminal that displays sensor data from multiple airborne platforms, providing real-time full motion video for situational awareness, targeting, Battle Damage Assessment (BDA), surveillance, convoy operations, and other situations where eyes on target are required.

Developed by L-3 Communications, each unit comprises a ruggedised laptop computer with antennas and cables.

The system streams video collected from UAVs and surveillance aircraft so that F/Os/JTACs and combat air patrol pilots can see the same picture.

In call for fires or air support situations it sharply reduces the time spent in describing and confirming targets, allowing attacks to be coordinated in seconds.

Fielding the ROVER III

We are not privy as to how Defence plans to field the Rover IIIs it is acquiring.

An obvious role is of course as part of the hardware for the Land 200 BMS Fires Forward Observer for which an ITR was released last year and which would require integration with AFATDS.

A question that has arisen by program observers is, if Rover III, a receive only capability, is being used for troop level situational awareness beyond the FO/JTAC role, how is such sometimes time-critical data being distributed in real time on the battlefield?

The answer appears to be in the development by L-3 of a full duplex transmit capability for the Rover III (ISR) data link.

According to a recent report Defence is looking at the integration of Rover terminals in Chinook helicopters to enable them to receive data direct from TCDL-equipped air vehicles.

Such situational awareness capabilities would be of enormous benefit in reconnoitring the ground preparatory to troop/equipment drops.

While Rover III cannot currently receive data from ScanEagle UAVs operated by the ADF, this may change and in the meantime the Chinooks would receive visuals from our AP-3Cs and from Coalition Predators and others.
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