Seamless Integration: the Mounted / Dismounted Interface

Download article as PDF

As modern military operations evolve, the integration of digitised vehicles and soldiers has introduced both opportunities and challenges. At the heart of this evolution lies the Mounted/Dismounted Interface - a critical connection point enabling soldiers to interact with vehicle systems. Ultra PCS is at the forefront of advancing this interface, leveraging cutting-edge technology of the UltraLYNX ™ wearable system to redefine dismounted soldier capabilities.

The Modern Battlefield: A Digitised Ecosystem

Today's military vehicles are equipped with advanced digital architectures, guided by standards such as the UK's Generic Vehicle Architecture (GVA) and NATO GVA. These standards ensure seamless integration of subsystems, including Local Situational Awareness, Communications and Battlefield Management Systems (BMS). Through common displays and shared data, vehicles provide crews with enhanced situational awareness and operational efficiency. Underpinning this is the UK MoD's Land Data Model, a model-based engineering approach to defining the data exchanges within a platform mission system. The data model is translated into an open middleware called Data Distribution Service (DDS) which provides a near real-time GVA databus that enables open interoperability.

Middleware for Soldier Electronic Architectures

It makes sense for a Soldier Electronic Architecture to consider the same data model/middleware approach as that used on vehicles. This is exactly the direction that the UK have taken, with recent updates to its Generic Soldier Architecture standard (Def-Stan 23-012). UltraLYNX™ supports this move by hosting the DDS middleware on the hub itself, allowing the GSA databus to interchange messages in an open way irrespective of the EUD/BMA selected, where it can easily translate DDS messages into formats compatible with other soldier systems, such as ATAK.

Connecting the Soldier to the Vehicle; the Mounted / Dismounted Interface

Ultra PCS have developed an Infantry Power & Data Unit (IPDU) to manage the connection of soldiers when they mount into a GVA enabled vehicle. IPDU has two primary functions.

• Firstly, it provides each soldier with vehicle derived power (facilitating hot swap or re-charging of the soldier worn battery.)
• Secondly, the IPDU provides the necessary network management to connect the vehicle GVA to each soldier's GSA. In doing so, the DDS messaging between vehicle and soldier allows parameters such as a soldier's mission status, mission reporting and condition monitoring to be reported. Data the other way from the vehicle includes location, mission updates and even video selection allowing the mounted soldier to access the vehicle cameras to improve their situational awareness.

Further enhancements of the IPDU include data isolation and access control, cross domain security and interoperability protocols allowing coalition partners to also connect.

The Future of Collaboration

Ultra PCS envisions the MDI as more than just a power or data connection - it's a platform for innovation. As new technologies emerge, the UltraLYNX™ ecosystem is designed to rapidly integrate advancements, enabling greater collaboration between soldiers and vehicle crews. From augmented reality overlays to enhanced command-and-control features, the potential applications are vast.

By bridging the gap between mounted and dismounted operations, Ultra PCS is empowering the modern soldier with unmatched operational capability. UltraLYNX™ represents a transformational leap in delivering a truly connected battlefield.

For more information please visit:
https://ultra-pcs.com/data-processing/ultralynx