JP 2072-a waiting game

If the ADF wants JTRS-compliant radios under JP2072, will this dictate its choice of radio, and supplier, under Ph.1
Having completed their Offer Definition Activities, a sort of due diligence probe into the trustworthiness of their original bids, the two contenders for this major Battlespace Communications project, BAE Systems Australia and General Dynamics Canada, have been faced with yet another task before the final choice of prime systems integrator for this major project is announced. That new task? They're not saying but we suspect it's a cost reduction exercise better known as a best and final offer.

There is little doubt that the upcoming requirement for multi-mode, multi-band tactical communications, sought under JP2072 Battlespace Communications (Land), is headed towards a US Joint Tactical Radio System (JTRS) solution. But the JTRS program--the future world standard for high capacity tactical radios-is experiencing serious delays and hard decisions are looming over bridging a two to four year capability gap between JP2072's in-service date (2009) and the likely availability of JTRS compliant radios.

More than 12 months have passed since bids closed for the Prime System Integrator role for this ambitious project which covers the spectrum of combat net radio and trunk communications as well as local area voice and data systems. Eventually JP 2072 will also introduce tactical data distribution systems and tactical communications range extension systems not previously employed in the Australian context.

As we have previously reported DSTO has been experimenting with range extension systems including the use of EPLARS radios in UAVs. We understand that ADI's JP129/JP2072 proposal mirrors the UK's Watchkeeper project using the Hermes 450 TUAV as an airborne radio relay for Bowman.

Of the original four bidders, Raytheon Australia and IBM Australia were dropped leaving BAE Systems Australia and GD Canada in contention. This occurred when recommendations on the selection of prime contractor went to the Defence Minister last August. It seems that while he was agreeable to dropping the first two his natural caution took over-and who can blame him-and he wasn't about to approve a choice between BAES and GD Canada, for this very important long term task, without further information.

We assume he wanted assurances about the capacity of both contenders to bring this very important project to fruition within the agreed timescale and budget. We may be right because an Offer Definition Activity, a sort of intensive due diligence exercise, was subsequently undertaken by both organisations and only recently completed. And (Defence Minister willing) it is anticipated that a decision will be announced shortly on the selection of the PSI with contract signature by mid-year.

BAES Australia has strong Australian credentials, having delivered and supported more than ninety percent of the ADF's existing tactical mobile communications capability through the Raven, Wagtail and Parakeet programs. And BAE Systems (US) has also been involved with the JTRS program since its inception and the first to produce a working JTRS radio. BAES has also led the development of significant aspects of the JTRS Wideband Networking Waveform, with future NCW implications.

GD Canada brought ADI Limited (half-owned by Thales) and Tenix Defence into its team and offered GD Canada's expertise with the Bowman (UK) and the Iris (Canada) tactical communications programs. Undoubtedly GD will draw upon those architectures for JP2072. Affiliated companies, General Dynamics and Thales Communications, are major players in the JTRS program with the latter a core member of the GD team developing JTRS backpack and handheld JTRS radios. Thales is separately modifying its in service MBITR radio as an enhanced JTRS MBITR.

The goal of JP2072 is to provide the Land Force with a deployable and integrated communication system with connectivity across all component systems of the theatre such as C2, intelligence, offensive fire, logistics, ground based air defence and maritime and airborne sensor-linked weapon systems. A key feature of the system will be the employment of that relatively recent development: software defined radios (SDR) that is digital radios with software programmable waveforms that provide the multi-band, multi-mode operation required for connectivity across the battlespace.

The extent and shape of that battlespace can be judged by the JP2072 interfaces which include the ARH and AIR9000 helicopters, Project Overlander vehicles, tracked and wheeled armoured and light armoured vehicles, airborne and high altitude surveillance and early warning platforms. Maritime platforms include Armidale patrol boats (already equipped with the Rohde & Schwarz M3SR reprogrammable digital radio) as well as the ANZACs, and future AWDs and LPDs.

The first (and current) phase will equip a Joint Task Force (JTF) based on 3 Bde, with upgraded Parakeet trunking, data-capable combat radios (including augmented Raven/Wagtail) and an improved Local Area System. This phase will also provide the opportunity to examine new technologies and architectures which will inform the definition studies for Phase 2-the roll-out of BCS(L) to high readiness units.

There are significant capability deficiencies in the current combat radio and tactical trunk systems as well as local networks. While Raven and Wagtail CNR systems provide a useful single mode voice capability, they are unable to support current land operational requirements for data traffic let alone meeting future high bandwidth data demands of tactical radio networked environments. Long term maintainability may also prove to be a problem if augmentation, rather than replacement, is relied upon to solve the current data discrepancies.

Similarly the Parakeet tactical trunk system requires improved bearer range and capacity and a more efficient network to suit the increases sought in communications traffic. Improvements to local networks are also required including wireless infrastructure for improved mobility.

In place of the in-service Raven/Wagtail combat radio, with its limited frequency range, single band (FM) and single mode (analogue voice) operation and limited capacity, Defence envisages a commercial or military off the shelf digital combat radio with the following attributes:

* Frequency range of 30-512 MHz

* Multi-band, multi-mode VHF/UHF (AM & FM)

* Software based waveforms

* Enhanced capacity (64kbps+)

* UHF SATCOM

* US interoperable

There are a number of software programmable tactical radios now available, or under development, with specifications approaching those sought by Defence. But the US Joint Tactical Radio System (JTRS) program is at the forefront as the future world standard for SDR tactical radios. In a multi-billion dollar program JTRS is undertaking the development of high capacity, multi-channel, multi-mode sets to replace 750 000 radios in the US inventory with one third that number.

Under the program's various development clusters (for different operational applications) JTR sets are being sought for Army vehicle and rotary wing applications as well as handheld, manpack, and small form-fit sets. JTRS radios are also being developed for maritime and fixed-station applications, and for airborne use.

JTRS would appear to have broad application to JP 2072's tactical radio requirement as a relatively low risk MOTS procurement. We suspect both the JP2072 contenders believe this to be so and we imagine that the JP2072 program office would not disagree. But there are problems on the horizon.

Indicative equipment for the Joint Task Force in JP2072's first phase includes:

* a multi-mode LOS/tactical satellite combat radio,

* a compact intersection combat radio, and

* an HF combat radio

But with Phase 1's limited budget of around $100 million the overall replacement of current infrastructure is not proposed. While some high priority capability gaps will need to be filled-and this will doubtless require off-the-shelf acquisitions of some new radios - existing equipment, such as Raven/Wagtail, will have their capabilities enhanced through augmentation to provide greater data throughput, channel capacity and so on.

This interim augmented capability will need to last until the rollout of new equipment, to be defined by the PSI as part of his Phase 1 task, begins in 2009. The problem here is that if a JTRS solution is chosen-as surely it will be-radios able to support JTRS waveforms may not be available for some two to four years after that. And if other software defined radios are selected for roll-out to high readiness units on the basis that they are available and meet JP2072's indicative requirements, they may have to be subsequently replaced if they cannot be upgraded to receive JTRS waveforms.

One obvious option would be to restrict the selection to equipment that can be readily adapted to receive JTRS waveforms and thus ensure their application within a future JTRS environment. But are such radios available?

JTRS requires that compliant radios employ a particular software operating environment, the Software Communications Architecture (SCA), enabling them to support various JTRS communications waveforms-the key to improved interoperability among services and coalition partners. To encourage adoption of the SCA standard, DoD policy states that US military services may purchase only JTRS SCA-compliant radios unless granted a waiver on a case-by-case basis. The converse appears to be that if you haven't adopted the SCA standard you don't get JTRS waveforms.

Due to delays with the JTRS program the US armed forces last year spent hundreds of millions of dollars buying tactical radio systems not covered by JTRS. These acquisitions included Thales AN/PRC-148 handheld squad radios and Harris Falcon AN/PRC-150 HF backpacks.

Question: In view of what follows, would these radios (or their like) therefore suit JP2072 as an interim purchase, on the basis that they could be upgraded later to receive whatever JTRS waveforms might be required for JP 2072?

Under an engineering change to a current US Army contract Thales Communications is redesigning its AN/PRC-148, an expensive special forces-style SDR, also termed the MBITR, as a JTRS Enhanced MBITR or JEM. Key features of this upcoming JTRS handheld include user selected frequencies (30-512 MHz), user programmable waveforms including VHF/FM, VHF/AM, UHF/AM, UHF/FM (LOS), user location in GPS or military grid reference, embedded COMSEC and other features. And this is only the Block 1 specification!

Harris Falcon II SDR radios encompass the HF, VHF, and UHF frequency spectrum, and a large suite of waveforms and communications capabilities. The 30 to 512 MHz PRC-117F(C) radio, now being actively promoted to the Australian Defence Force, represents the next level of radio design. Effectively three radios in one, it provides low-band VHF capabilities for combat net radio, high-band VHF functionality for public safety, and ground-to-air and UHF features for military ground-to-air and satellite communications (SATCOM).

Outside the US, France and Germany have cooperated closely on the bilateral Multimode Multi-role Radio Advanced Demonstrator, through Thales and EADS, supported by Rohde and Schwartz. The latter is reported as having developed the first SDR to be widely militarily available.

The Rohde & Schwartz M3TR is in service with the military forces of Belgium, Brazil, Portugal, and Sweden. Australia is using the maritime version in the Armidale class patrol boats while Germany is using the airborne version.

With its extended frequency range of 1.5 to 512 MHz, high data rate of up to 72 kbit/s, the R&S M3TR covers the whole spectrum from shortwave through to the UHF band, and is another exceptional software programmable tactical radio. Currently designed for use with military and civilian legacy waveforms we understand that Rohde & Schwartz will be developing an SCA compliant JTRS radio.

We assume that Rohde & Schwartz and other communications specialists, interested in developing JTRS radios, must play a waiting game until more is known about JTRS waveforms and their releasability, bearing in mind that US government and some US companies have IP rights over waveforms selected for JTRS. Presumably the waveform requirements of JP2072 will emerge as part of the initial capability.
Because the Bowman project predated JTRS, inter-operability was based upon inter-service communication rather than between UK and US forces. A degree of interoperability with US forces is being achieved by the establishment of Bowman VHF waveforms and algorithms in the JTRS waveform library.

This article has focussed on just one aspect of JP2072-discussion over possible equipment solutions for the tactical radio requirement. We posed the question whether those in-service radios, whose design is the basis for modification to JTRS capability, could themselves be subsequently and readily upgraded to receive the JTRS waveforms selected for JP 2072. We haven't answered that question because we don't know. Should the answer be in the affirmative then with their acquisition JP2072 would have a growth path to JTRS.

By Tom Muir, Canberra