Defense Technology International - June 2008 - (Page 56)

COMMUNICATIONS TACTICAL DATA RELAY Ground sensors monitor and transmit a range of battle-zone activity PAUL MCLEARY•NEW YORK U.S. ARMY tion, depending on the mission, n order to have a commua soldier would emplace a difnications network like the ferent tactical UGS mix in an one the U.S. Army’s $160area depending on a particular billion Future Combat Systems mission scenario. program is trying to build, you This comes in particularly ﬁrst need to gather the inforhandy when bad weather or mation to send through the other environmental or mansystem. Key subsystems in made influences degrade the this area are two Unattended sensor’s ability to function. Ground Sensors (UGS): the “The way we get around that tactical sensor and the urban is by using different sensing sensor. capabilities,” Scaringella says. Manufactured by Textron Defense Systems, the tactical “If it’s a windy day and the UGS and urban UGS are goacoustic performance might be ing through testing at White low, we rely on seismic; or we Sands Missile Range, N.M. As can rely on the magnetic senof May, the company had delivsor to detect that a vehicle has ered about 150 sensors to the passed by. We also have imagArmy. ing to take pictures.” Neither Textron nor the Of the two systems, the urArmy will disclose the exact ban UGS is the more mature technology, and Textron thinks size or weight of either sensor, that it can go operational soonbut according to Dave Scariner. The urban UGS versions are gella, program manager for Fudesigned with a tacky back, so ture Combat Systems at Texsoldiers clearing a house can tron, soldiers should be able to stick it to walls and, by using carry a half dozen tactical UGS the gateway node, have “eyes versions in a standard Molle on” while they move to an adjapack, since they’re “roughly a cent house, or to another ﬂoor foot in length and a few inches Soldier with Tactical Unattended Ground in the building. in diameter.” He describes the Sensors during testing this spring at White The gateway node is a leaveurban UGS version as being Sands Missile Range, N.M. behind asset, set on a roof or about the “size of a pack of cigarettes.” buried up to their antennas. There are in bushes, since it can communicate Both systems are designed to use the four types of tactical nodes: intelligence with other gateways as well as relay Joint Tactical Radio System (JTRS). surveillance and reconnaissance, which data through the FCS communication Since the devices are deployed ahead of contains magnetic, seismic and acoustic network. ground forces and away from sources sensors to detect foot and vehicle tra c; This spring, the UGS sensors were of power, they rely on batteries to func- electro-optics, which has an electro-op- communicating on a surrogate radio tion. While their single-battery lifespan tic camera for daytime use and an infra- system that runs on the same waveis classified, Scaringella advises that red camera for night; radiological and form as JTRS. Scaringella says that the operating time for an urban UGS nuclear node; and a gateway node that in May, they started integrating the “is days,” while for the tactical UGS it is a communications relay system for JTRS radio into the system. Work on that is expected to be completed by the “is weeks.” The company, moreover, “is fusing data from the sensors. making the devices capable of handling According to Scaringella, the gateway fourth quarter of 2009, at which point additional battery packs that soldiers node is the “tra c cop of information. It the UGS system will go into a limited can bury, and they can be daisy-chained takes all the information from the nodes low-rate production phase. I to give the system long life.” and determines if there is anything of The sensors operate this way: Tacti- interest to the soldier” by sending inRead McLeary’s posts on DTI’s weblog, Ares, updated daily: cal UGS versions are placed in a ﬁeld or formation throughout the FCS network. AviationWeek.com/ares near a forward operating base, typically Since each node serves a di erent func56 DEFENSE TECHNOLOGY INTERNATIONAL JUNE 2008 AviationWeek.com/dti I http://AviationWeek.com/ares http://AviationWeek.com/dti

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Defense Technology International - June 2008

Defense Technology International - June 2008 Contents Around the World Science Watch Tech Watch Basic Black Self-Defense Fire-Resistant Perfezione Hyperspeed Trial Big Sky Cashing In Digital Links Hang Ten Sea Change Programs Update Two Steps Back Direct Hit Staying Power Potent Stinger Do No Harm Guard Duty The Net Cutting Edge First Person In Review Insight

Defense Technology International - June 2008

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