Written by / Compiled by KMI Media Group staff
MIT 2009 Volume: 13 Issue: 11 (December)
Designed for military and civilian agencies deployed in remote areas of operation, the new suite of pre-packaged and customized satellite communications services from CapRock Government Solutions connects very small aperture terminals to the Internet, public switched telephone service, and secure government networks. Scheduled for official product launch in 2010, CommandAccess enables customers with certified portable and man-packable terminals to benefit from two-way broadband satellite communications at guaranteed speeds up to 1megabits per second. CapRock’s new offering is built from the ground up as a commercially available, yet military-grade network for voice, video and data communications. CommandAccess will be offered in multiple frequency bands, including X, Ku and Ka. Designed to augment the Wideband Global Satellite program, CommandAccess enables customers to utilize existing remote field terminals, or approved commercial satellite equipment on the CapRock network. The service will be available in several packages and data rates, each for a flat monthly fee on a per terminal basis. CommandAccess will utilize capacity from the Skynet 5 fleet of military hardened geosynchronous communications satellites.
Alix Anne Hornig:
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Interface Promotes Modem Interoperability
ViaSat is offering a new Ethernet Service Expansion Module (ESEM) baseband interface for the MD-1366 Enhanced Bandwidth Efficient Modem (EBEM) that promotes Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA) modem interoperability across Department of Defense satellite networks and adds new feature updates as well. Having successfully completed first article testing, the ESEM option adds an open-standard Ethernet interface to the EBEM standards-based modem. This latest enhancement to the field-proven MD-1366 extends FDMA modem capability far beyond traditional fixedchannel, serial interface operation, and is certified for use over Defense Satellite Communication System and Wideband Global SATCOM military satellites. The ESEM plug-in interface enables Ethernet baseband data (10/100/1000 BaseT) interoperability among DoD FDMA modems by concurrently transmitting Internet Protocol Ethernet baseband traffic, as well as non-IP data flows. The ESEM, together with the Information Throughput Adaptation and Radio Aware Routing features of the MD-1366, moves beyond the traditional “fixed-channel data rate” environment of FDMA communications to automatically maximize data throughput. When environmental conditions deteriorate, the modem switches to a more robust modulation and coding scheme to maintain the connection.
Mike Fowler:
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
GRRIP (AN/PSC-15) Surpasses 1000 Units Delivered
KLAS Telecom announced it has delivered more than 1000 Global Rapid Response Information Package (GRRIP) systems in support of the global war on terrorism and is receiving additional orders from the Department of Defense for delivery during the company’s current fiscal year. The GRRIP is a lightweight, fully featured, deployable communication system that extends NIPRNET, SIPRNET and JWICS to 80 percent of the globe for the First-in Communicator. Weighing less than 28 pounds, with all necessary operational components contained in a single ruggedized case measuring 16 inches x 13 inches x 6.87 inches, it is the only “grab and go” system on the market. The GRRIP accepts any wide-ranging AC or DC power source and is operational for approximately 3 hours on internal battery. The system has undergone TEMPEST, JITC certification and MILSPEC 810F testing, and supports the L3 Talon and Harris SecNet-54/KIV-54 Type 1 encryption devices. Designed to operate primarily over the Inmarsat BGAN network, it has integrated TCP acceleration for classified users. The GRRIP is also fully compatible with any IP based network to include C, Ku and X band VSAT, hotel Broadband and 3G wireless.
Ruggedized Fiber Guides Robotic Vehicles
Ruggedized fiber-optic cable produced by Optical Cable Corporation (OCC) is used in specialized robotic vehicles manufactured by Applied Research Associates (ARA) for handling unexploded ordinance. A fiber communications and control system is used to control the vehicles and also to provide for on-board, remote video monitoring of the environment from the command post. OCC’s line includes extremely strong yet lightweight tight-buffered cables designed for military tactical field use and commercial applications. Due to the resiliency and flexibility of OCC’s fiber cable, an ARA robotic vehicle can travel over rough terrain, around bends and even navigate overlapping ramps of a multi-story parking garage. This ability is also facilitated by the cable system, which automatically maintains practically zero tension in the cable. These fiber-controlled unmanned systems are an ideal solution for situations where radio frequency connections are not viable due to non-lineof- sight conditions, local jamming, or when security conditions call for closed communications, whereby information is transmitted directly from the operator to the robot and back. ♦
