Communications across the joint battlespace

CHIPS, July-Sept, 2009 by Dennis Bauman

In today's warfighting environment, it is essential that we, as Defense leaders, accelerate the delivery of advanced networking capabilities into the hands of our warfighters. The Department of Defense (DoD) has learned from the communications interoperability challenges observed during operations in Grenada, Panama and Desert Storm, and has sought to replace the multitude of non-interoperable, non-networked legacy radios in use throughout the services.

We must seek to not only replace legacy radio functionality, but to enable network-centric warfare across the joint battlespace through the use of advanced mobile, ad hoc network capable devices.

JTRS delivers interoperability to the tactical edge

In order for the U.S. military to be a truly superior fighting force, we must extend the power of the Global Information Grid (GIG) to the tactical edge to provide real-time battlefield awareness and enable timely decision-making. The Joint Tactical Radio System (JTRS) delivers this capability by building a powerful network of Soldiers, ground vehicles, sensors, ships and airborne platforms, enabling true networking and joint interoperability for the first time between all four DoD services across the tactical edge of the entire battlespace.

Using legacy systems, situational awareness stops at the command center, limiting the amount of information that can flow to or from the actual engagement. This lack of a networked information flow leads to latency in shared data, the inability of ground troops to expand their network vertically to receive cross-service air or maritime support and difficulty in tracking frier Tyversus enemy forces on the battlefield.

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Additional, capability upgrades have been ardueus, as the radio industry paradigm has been a closed, proprietary model in which industry typically retains most software and hardware intellectual property rights. This model requires the services to continuously each capability upgrade. Furthermore, the services typically chose different radio vendors, diluting DoD's ability to leverage economies of o scale.

Utilizing this model, the overall cost to innovate/upgrade and field in mass quantities was inflated, limiting the ability to effectively field new capability and constraining joint interoperability.

JTRS provides mobile, ad hoc networking

In order to combat this traditionally costly and disjointed system, the Joint Program Executive Office (JPEO) was formed in 2005 to provide joint oversight to the JTRS technology. The JPEO portfolio consolidates separate service-led and service-specific radio programs into a single, joint development effort and is comprised of five ACAT ID programs: Ground Mobile Radio (GMR); Airborne, Maritime and Fixed Station (AMF); Handheld Manpack, Small Form Fit (HMS); Multifunctional Information Distribution System-JTRS (MIDS JTRS); and Network Enterprise Domain (NED).

The GMR, AMF, HMS and MIDS JTRS programs leverage the waveform and network management capability provided by NED to develop and field the JTRS sets. The advanced networking capabilities are made possible by incorporating transformational waveforms, such as the Wideband Networking Waveform (WNW) and Soldier Radio Waveform (SRW), as well as legacy wave Vorms, such as Single Channel Ground and Airborne Radio System (SINCGARS), Enhanced Position Location Reporting Systems (EPLRS), Link 16, Ultra High Frequency Satellite Communications (UHF SATCOM) and HF.

The incorporation of legacy waveforms, as well as the development of new waveforms, has allowed continued success across the JPEO enterprise in developing joint technology and furthering the goal of joint warfighting capability. The JPEO vision is focused on enabling network-centric warfare through the use of advanced mobile, ad hoc networking-capable JTRS devices.

JTRS systems are organic to tactical forces and not dependent on fixed infrastructure to move high-bandwidth data, dramatically improving decision superiority and battlespace flexibility. Unlike cellular and other mobile devices that require extensive arrays of fixedsite towers, relay stations or complex satellite constellations in order for users to communicate seamlessly while on the move, JTRS allows for those functions to be done within each radio device. This functionality is far beyond what a regular "radio" has ever had the ability to do and is critical to providing battlefield efficiency of the network as well as a common operational picture for the warfighter.

JTRS continues to make headway and drive forward with systems that are born joint and evolve to encompass changing technology without an unacceptable risk to joint/allied interoperability. As a result of the JTRS program, a joint tactical networking environment is within reach, in which all services can communicate in real time by video, chat, data or voice, in uncharted, uncertain terrain.

For the first time, these communications will encompass for warfighters high-bandwidth information (including sensor information from joint and national assets) over a single network, delivering true, interoperable, network capability at the tactical edge. JTRS connects the ground, air and maritime domains, not only with each other, but also with the GIG.