Foto: iStockPhoto

Military communicationchallengesKia Wiklundh, PhDDep. Research Director

Outline

• New Swedish tactical radio• Future challenge for military communication – the limited

resource frequency spectrum

TGR Technical Solution Description, short

Information from Peter Ryner, Project Manager of TGR, FMV

TGR Radio Objects Description

Öppen/Unclassified

TGR radio solutions are comprised of 4 platforms:

– Object 1: MCTR-7200HHSingle channel (hand held) soldier radio

– Object 2: MCTR-7200MP-VS50Single channel vehicular radio

– Object 3: MCTR-7200MP-VD52Dual channel vehicular radio

– Object 4: MCTR-7200HH-VS20Vehicular adapter for the soldier radio(*paired with object 1 In the picture)

TGR Radio Objects Description• All TGR radio platforms are fully interoperable in the VHF

and UHF bands, i.e. capable of:

– NBWF (25 \ 50 KHz) in the 30-512 MHz spectrum

– WBWF (1.2 MHz) in the 225-512 MHz spectrum

• Objects 2 & 3 are enhanced platforms, i.e. capable of:

– NBWF (25 \ 50 KHz) in the 30-512 MHz spectrum

– WBWF (1.2 MHz) in the 225-512 MHz spectrum

– Optional HCWF (5 MHz) in the 1.0-1.8 GHz spectrum

Öppen/Unclassified

• Single Channel radio

• 5W output power

• Deliverables:– 1 Hand held soldier radio

– 1 GPS antenna

– 1 handset

Object 1: MCTR-7200HH

Öppen/Unclassified

• Single Channel VA

• 20W output power

• Deliverables:

– 1 VA

– 1 Mechanical Mount

– 1 Set of matingconnectors

– Software based operatorpanel application

Object 4 (+1): MCTR-7200HH-VS20

Öppen/Unclassified

• Single Channel Vehicularradio

• 50W output power

• Deliverables:

– 1 50W transceiver

– 1 Mechanical Mount

– 1 Set of mating connectors

– Software based operatorpanel application

Object 2: MCTR-7200MP-VS50

Öppen/Unclassified

• Dual Channel Vehicular radio

• 50W+20W output power

• 10 W for L-band

• Deliverables:

– 1 50W transceiver

– 1 Mechanical Mount

– 1 Set of mating connectors

– Software based operatorpanel application

Object 3: MCTR-7200MP-VD52

Öppen/Unclassified

TGR Radio Architecture• SCA 2.2.2 compliant SDR platforms

• Red-Black designEmbedded TRANSEC (optional COMSEC) capabilities.

• Powerful and flexibleplatform consisting of a “smart mixture” of GPP-FPGA-DSP’s inboth red and black cells

• Common architecturebattery powered and vehicular radios alike, share basic design

Öppen/Unclassified

TGR Waveforms• Narrow Band Waveform (primarily speech, PC-DART and

BFT)

• Wide Band Waveform (primarily BMS data)

• High Capacity Waveform OPTION, not procured

BASIC versions of NBWF and WBWF with limitedfunctionality with deliveries 2017.

Öppen/Unclassified

TGR Waveforms – NBWF Highlights• 25\ 50 KHz channel bandwidth (VHF and UHF bands)

• Fully automated self-forming, self-healing IP network.

• No single point of failure, GPS independent Synchronization

• Supporting Unicast, Multicast and Broadcast

• Quality of service support

• TDMA based MAC, 2 hops support

• Supports up to four concurrent voice sessions in the same

channel (VoIP)

• Jamming Resistant

Öppen/Unclassified

TGR Waveforms – WBWF Highlights• 1.2 MHZ channel bandwidth (UHF band only)

• Fully automated self-forming, self-healing IP network.

No single point of failure, GPS independent Synchronization

• Unique Cooperative transmission PHY MAC, 6 RF hops

• More than 140 nodes in a single network

• Supporting Unicast, Multicast and Broadcast

• Quality of service support

• Supports up to two concurrent voice sessions in the same

channel

• Jamming Resistant

Öppen/Unclassified

Future challenge for military communication –the limited resource frequency spectrum

Frequency spectrum – a limited and scarceresource• The 5G vision

– Networked society andInternet of Things

– Massive number ofdevices

– Requires many newfrequency bands, moreand higher

From: Amy Nordrum, “Popular Internet of ThingsForecast of 50 Billion Devices by 2020 Is Outdated”,IEEE Spectrum, Aug 2016

5G and IoT

• Planned to use considerably higher frequencies– Outdoor environments: frequencies up to about 30 GHz– Indoor: up to about 90 GHz

• In licensed and non-licensed bands• Ongoing activity: to access as much frequency as possible

• Implications on military radar and communication systemsFrom Ericsson White paper, April 2016, 5G radio access

Meanwhile: increased demand of bandwidth formilitary purposes• For robustness

– Jamming threat, interference, mobility,…• For new capacity demanding applications

– Network oriented services: situation awareness, battle management systems,sensor solutions, …

• More radio systems– New services and for interoperability– UHF band: 225-400 MHz is problematic!

• Interference from other radio systems. Difficulties to preserve the robustness forbroadband frequency hopping radio systems

• The existing military frequency band, that is decreasing, will obstruct theintroduction of new valuable radio services!

Radar bands

.

3 MHz

HF

30 MHz 300 MHz 1 GHz 2 GHz 4 GHz 8 GHz 12 GHz 40 GHz

VHF UHF L S C X Ku, K, Ka

Long range, Early Warning, Counter Stealth Fire control,Missile seekers,

Airborne,Imaging,

Coastal surveillanceSurveillance, Air Defence

Counterbattery

AirborneEarly Warning

Coastalsurveillance

Spacesurveillance

LowAltitude

Detection

SRD

IMT =International Mobile Telecommunications

Risk to lose to IMTIMT wants additional bands

Conclusions• There will come good communication techniques that will enable new

and valuable high capacity services• BUT, frequency spectrum is a necessity• To ensure frequency spectrum for military communication and radar

services:– Not loose more frequency bands– New and innovative techniques to handle frequency spectrum more efficient

• Aggregation of frequency bands• Dynamic frequency management• Use of higher frequency bands where that is possible• If use of unlicensed bands, increase the robustness with other techniques or

redundant systems