Fighting for the future of battlefield connectivity

By Andrew Dobson, Vice President - Global Military Communications at DTC

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Today's battlefield is shifting faster than ever before. Soldiers now operate in volatile, electronic, machine-driven environments where communications must adapt near-instantaneously, and where staying connected can be the difference between mission success and mission failure.

To this end, here at DTC we are having to constantly revamping our product range to meet this challenge. The pace of development continues to accelerate exponentially to keep up with what is needed now in conflict zones across the globe.

Responding to modern demands

This is because the modern battlefield is dynamic, decentralised, and machine-augmented, forcing battlefield communications to evolve beyond traditional fixed architectures and toward a fully adaptive tactical communications ecosystem.

Now, the race to keep one step ahead of the adversary means development cycles are having to accelerate rapidly. Our engineering team runs at full throttle all the time to keep up with demands coming from the battlefield, with some of the technology in use today nearly unrecognisable from what was considered state-of-the-art only 6-12 months ago.

We have always had to consider and respond to the threat of working in denied environments, but the rate of technological change was much slower. Today, the development cycle has to be closer to three weeks than three months because you always need to be thinking and acting faster than your adversary.

Consequently, DTC is constantly developing new capabilities that align to the changing nature of Electronic Warfare (EW). This requires high tech, high speed responses, and remaining resilient in the face of new threats. For example, only waking up the radio when you need it - and for the shortest time possible - to avoid detection, and being able to switch frequencies in under 30 milliseconds to keep the enemy guessing as to which frequency you are using.

We've also found the need to blacklist radios, making sure any radios which fall into the wrong hands are quickly and easily removed from the network. This prevents an enemy from accessing any data from it or the networks it is connected to. We also wanted to be able to 'kill' any lost device attempting to reestablish a connection to its old network to prevent that from happening, which required the setting up of a database of devices which previously didn't exist.

Human-machine teaming

Our agile, interoperable, and mission-ready communication solutions have enabled military forces to operate seamlessly across the entire battlespace for many years now. It's become more than just the dismounted soldier being able to stay connected to colleagues and their vehicle - you now have myriad autonomous and uncrewed assets in operation, so remaining connected to these is vital.

It's not just about the frontline either. Human-machine teaming has evolved beyond the use of robotic assets to support troops in confrontational circumstances. Owing to the level of disruption being caused to supply chains - to and from the battlefield - it is estimated that up to 60% of the supply chain will be uncrewed very soon, including the vehicles carrying weaponry, munitions, medical equipment and supplies.

Our technology also enables fixed communications infrastructures that allow an uninterrupted flow of Unmanned X Vehicles (UXVs), meaning the troops continue to get the critical supplies they need, while reducing the likelihood of human casualties.

Recently, we supported live trials to understand how autonomous vehicles could be integrated into the Army's logistics fleet, with DTC providing the resilient communications needed to keep everything connected. These trials also brought in an innovative mission-command software partner to test decentralised battlefield management and drone integration alongside our technology.

Further strengthening the human-machine ecosystem is out Android Tactical Assault Kit (ATAK)-Mesh Plugin, which extends resilient Mobile Ad-Hoc Network (MANET) connectivity directly into relevant environments. By integrating IP Mesh radios with ATAK, operators gain real-time network visibility, remote video management, and spectrum awareness (at range) from any single device on the network.

This ensures soldiers and autonomous assets remain connected in denied or degraded environments, while enabling faster decision-making and more coordinated mission execution. The plugin also supports remote zeroization, blacklisting and spectrum reconnaissance - all crucial elements when reinforcing the security of the wider tactical network.

The value of localisation

Unfortunately, the increasing levels of global uncertainty has also required a response, as it's forcing sovereign nations to assess whether they can effectively control their own supply chains and reduce dependencies on third-party provided equipment and supplies.

We've seen a profound shift toward a demand for localisation - the ability to either control the procurement of all necessary components within one's own country, or having greater resilience built into procurement programmes to prevent against disruptions. This extends into the ability to construct assets locally too, enabling greater control and security over the entire process.

The principle of interoperability has always been key to everything DTC does. Now our ability to produce flexible platforms which provide a base capability that's adaptable and assembled locally; a real asset, since many nations progressively desire to be masters of their own destiny and not beholden to geo-political changes.

This is especially true when dealing with components that are expensive or which have a high rate of attrition, returning to the point regarding the increasing pace of demand we are seeing. If items need replacing, competing with others in a global market for components is undesirable - especially when many are already in short supply. To be certain about supply levels you must use different suppliers, which requires the underlying technology to be flexible enough to work with a range of providers.

For example, DTC can provide a benchmark kit which can then be personalised - adapting its shape, feel, frequency and eventually even adding your own software - to build your own handheld radio in your own factory and effectively own the entire production chain.

Rising autonomy

There's also a clear demand for greater autonomy for uncrewed assets, owing to the ability it provides to remove a human from a dangerous location. The next stage for autonomy will be a transition where a soldier tells an autonomous asset what to do, but not how to do it. There will still be a need for a human to issue commands, but they won't have to be so involved in the control aspect.

In the world of communications, boundaries will still need to be set - radios will need to be told any exclusions, or the maximum power levels which are not to be exceeded. They will sense and join the network automatically, selecting their own frequencies and waveforms without the need for a human to make that decision.

The next stage, which we expect to happen within the next 18 months, will be the coming of age of self-aware networks, which will be make different types of decisions than what a human does today.

Reducing risks

Our BluTrak 90 range is an example of the leaps being taken in how we can now remove a soldier from a dangerous location using autonomous technology. This range of tracking antennas are designed to autonomously track unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in real-time. As drone operations continue to evolve and extend over longer distances, the BluTrak-90-D ensures a strong, reliable data link with UAVs without the need for external control or processing.

Unlike traditional fixed antennas, which require manual alignment and can struggle to maintain connectivity as the drone moves, the BluTrak-90-D autonomously tracks UAV movement to maintain its data link. At the core of the system is an onboard microprocessor running embedded tracking algorithms, enabling the antenna to continuously follow the movement of the drone without operator intervention.

The BluTrak-90-D is a self-contained system that deploys quickly and easily and removes the risk of human error when aligning the antenna. It supports Power over Ethernet (PoE) across a wide voltage range and processes National Marine Electronics Association (NMEA) position data from sources beyond GPS, ensuring dependable performance in GNSS-denied environments.

For applications that require it, this product range also includes a Robust model which will survive longer and in harsher conditions than the 90-D which guarantees a better service and greater resilience.

Overcoming requirements - today and tomorrow

As warzones becomes faster, smarter and more contested, the ability to adapt at pace is no longer a competitive advantage but a requirement for survival. DTC solutions - with our focus on resilience, autonomy and localisation - show how modern communications are evolving to meet the realities of today's conflicts.

By using these product ranges, forces are being empowered to stay connected, protected and one-step ahead in environments where margins for delays have become non-existent. Our proactive approach will ensure that as battlefields evolve, so too will our market offerings.

For more information please visit:
https://www.dtccodan.com