Comms Along the Convoy
Written by Adam Baddeley
In a glaring capability gap for the long columns of tactical vehicles supporting U.S. ground forces, convoys today lack the means to effectively communicate between vehicles.
While armored vehicles have a complement of Combat Net Radios (CNR) allowing ease of communication throughout the battlegroup, large columns of tactical vehicles in the logistic tail do not, with the exception of a few command vehicles. As a result, they are frequently unable to communicate to their colleagues, even to the truck ahead.
If an ambush, breakdown or wrong turn occurs in a convoy—which can stretch out along the road for several miles—that is outside of the view of a vehicle crew with a radio, help cannot be called upon, often with tragic consequences. The Army is continuing to develop requirements to solve this problem based around capabilities that provide an easy-to-use, affordable solution to ensure nodes in each vehicle. In anticipation of this, a number of companies have developed products to enable communications between vehicles in large convoys of tactical vehicles, with differing views on the mix of voice and data. KVH Industries, for example, got involved in convoy comms as a result of interest expressed by the Army’s Technology Capability Managers Office, Transportation Command, which asked the company to explore the possibility of sending messages using its existing TACNAV displays. “They told us their biggest problem was talking between vehicles because they don’t have enough radios for each vehicle,” said Bill Houtz, sales manager for military products.
“As we developed it together with input from Army users, we saw that the TACNAV screen wasn’t a good enough screen from a readability standpoint,” said Houtz. Instead, KVH took a Trimble Recon touch-screen PDA, inserted new software and integrated it with COTS products to create what the company calls KVH Convoy Command and Communications.
At the time, the Army Capabilities Integration Center (ACIC) was putting together a range of technologies and solutions to deploy to Iraq. The KVH solution was tagged to be included in this, although the frequency used was subsequently deemed to be unsuitable for deployment.
MESH SYSTEM
The original solution was developed for proof of concept and was successfully demonstrated at two of the Army’s Expedited Modernization Initiative Procedure events, where it received a rating of “high potential military utility,” said Houtz. KVH has subsequently worked with ITT, opting for an ITT mesh system based on a frequency solution already deployed in theater in another application.
Larry Williams, director business development at ITT, explained that the system being used by KVH is based on its new Spearnet radio, which operates across a wide range of bands, describing it as a Type 3 secure system. KVH has tested the system with each radio, achieving ranges of 1 km in urban areas and 2 km in the open. The communications stretch along the entire convoy, however, as the signal skips from vehicle to vehicle.
System users interface with the systems via the PDA, with the readiness and status of up to 99 vehicles in the convoy shown on what has been dubbed the “bingo screen.” Each icon changes color to provide a vivid, at-a-glance situational awareness picture of the entire convoy.
“Our system supports command and control of the convoy,” said Houtz. “They can take the PDA to their mission-planning brief for the operations orders. The lead vehicle is vehicle number 1 with others numbered sequentially up to 99. Once the PDA is back into the vehicle, the system turns each numbered icon from black to grey.
“Once there is full grey screen, everyone is ready to go,” he continued. “Anytime that someone pulls out of the convoy or goes out of range, that icon will go to yellow and alert the leader. The system constantly and automatically communicates each vehicle’s status.”
The system has four standard priority messages, based on the Army doctrine: ambush, threat warning, gas alert and enemy aircraft. These can be changed to suit users in the field. Commanders also have additional messages, such as ceasefire. Every message is saved with a date and time stamp and also location. Post-mission analysis of multiple convoys can be downloaded, and if convoys are found to get hit at particular times and locations, action can be taken.
Using the bingo screen, the leader at any time can simply look at the screen and at a glance see which vehicles have acknowledged the message.
“The key thing is when you get hit,” Houtz continued. “At the moment users hear ‘I’m hit, ‘or ‘ambush,’ the question of where and who immediately comes up. With this system it shows Vehicle report [KVH image] up instantaneously when the user hits the ambush button on his screen the information pops up with the number of the vehicle in the convoy. “If the convoy commander’s vehicle is hit, then the systems allows the second in command to take command automatically and have the ‘commander’s screen’ on his PDA. It may be wonderful having a radio in each vehicle, but if all you can say is ‘ambush,’ how do I know that all 50 vehicles got the message. It could take 20 minutes for them to roger in and out,” he said.
Houtz said the system is ready to go, having already been prepared to send 100 systems to Iraq as part of the ARCIC test. “We are now trying to get it into the user community. I think that we have answered the biggest question which was whether they can operate in the right frequency bands. We and ITT have come up with the solution and have proved that it can be done.”
The solution could cost under $5,000 per vehicle depending on volume, Houtz said, adding, “This system is made for volume production, as we have proven before in fielding over 10,000 tactical navigation systems worldwide.”
LOGISTICS APPLICATIONS
“Over the past year or so, we became aware of two important capability gaps in convoy communications,” said Richard Jozefowski, director of business development for Telephonics, in outlining why the company developed the TruLink Convoy Communication System (TCCS).
“The first is vehicle-to-vehicle communications where none currently exists,” Jozefowski said. “What we have found is that specific vehicles in the convoy may have long-range radios such as SINCGARS or other embedded radios, but communications across the convoy is not always there. The second capability gap is for the dismounted soldier. Today when they step off the vehicle, they have a foot of wire to stick their head out of a hatch but then they have to disconnect from the vehicle intercom. Once they do that, they have no communications. Telephonics TruLink Convoy Communication System enables both.”
Jozefowski said that over the past six months, Telephonics has been using TCCS to work with different groups within the Army that are interested in convoy applications. “The TCCS enables effective C2 throughout the convoy, and the TruLink solution is currently being deployed by the Army under the AWIS program of record.”
The TCCS permits voice-only communications, based on tactical analysis from the field, Jozefowski said. “Voice is the most direct and easy-to-use form of communications in an emergency situation. There is no information ambiguity—voice is very clear as to what you need to do. It mitigates operator overload and provides ease of activation, as all they have to do is talk.
“With data-only communications, the user has to take his eye off what is happening and look at the screen to input information. With voice that just isn’t necessary. TCSS is also hands free, and so there is no display that can be affected by bright light or night.”
Telephonics has built TCCS’ capabilities around a model of an average of two to four passengers per vehicle, with a convoy length of approximately 4 km and not every vehicle having a SINCGARS radio and vehicle intercom. The system allows for multiple independent communication nets—gun trucks and medical vehicles are two examples—and integrates to existing intercom systems on vehicles.
Each TCCS system can support as many as 30 vehicles and up to six subgroups. By pressing the PTT button on the TruLink hand held radio, convoywide communications are achieved, and pressing the access button on TruLink communicates across the designated subgroup.
“Our understanding of the requirements is that there is a vehicle net for intravehicle communications, several subnets and a convoy main net,” said Jozefowski. “There is also a tactical C2 net that is separate to what we are offering with TCCS. That is the ability to link back to a Forward Operating Base with SINCGARS or other embedded radio.”
Two elements make up TCCS, the portable TruLink COTS solution that supports soldier-to-soldier communications in and around the vehicle. This consists of standard 2.4 GHz TruLink transceiver used by a soldier and an associated Access Point that acts as the local Network Controller for each vehicle. The second element is a TruLink 400 Access Point that enables vehicle-to-vehicle communications across the convoy. TruLink 400 operates at higher power and lower UHF frequencies to enable the longer-range communications necessary across a convoy. Both of theses Access Points are housed in a Convoy Portable Communications Case (PCC) along with the associated antenna and cables to connect to vehicle power. The system uses less than 4W of vehicle power.
The number of PCCs in the convoy depends on the density of the convoy and mission requirements. Each portable 2.4 Ghz TruLink transceiver has a line of sight up to 500 m, so a group of vehicles close to each could share one of those cases. Jozefowski said, “We found that the Army was more interested in a portable solution that could be quickly brought to a vehicle.”
The PCC has the option of linking to SINCGARS, but the system is not Type 1, and so would have to be kept separate. Telephonics is currently working on a Type 1 encrypted program to resolve that issue.
WIRELESS NETWORK
Executives of Cobham Defence Communications (CDC) believe that their new Eagle “PRR-class” radio provides a flexible solution for use within the convoy communications domain. Bob Williamson, business development manager at CDC, outlined two approaches based on establishing a wireless network extending from existing VIC-3 intercoms already present in some but not all vehicles in a convoy.
The first option would be a fully integrated solution where the circuit card of the Eagle radio would be embedded in an Appliqué unit on the VIC-3. Cobham was the first to embed personal radios such as the PRR and the TruLink. A second, reduced cost solution would be to use a direct cable between an Eagle radio and one of the user ports of the intercom. Both options provide a wireless extension to dismounted crew and vehicles within the radio’s immediate and extended range coverage.
“One of the big advantages of the Eagle radio is its ability to access CNR remotely, without the need for the user to be directly connected to an intercom,” said Williamson. “If, for example, the lead vehicle had an Eagle radio integrated on its intercom and had two SINCGARS, crew in other vehicles could, connecting via Eagle, select to communicate through any of the CNR radios to higher echelons remotely, solely with Eagle without having to have VIC-3 in the vehicle. The fully integrated solution really is a true extension to the intercom.” Audio menus on Eagle allow them to press select any one of up to three CNRs remotely.
Using a cabled system that will work with any intercom, an Eagle radio would be mounted next to the intercom and would extend range between vehicles in the exact same way as the fully integrated variant, although access would only allow communication via the CNR that the VIC crew station was switched to. An overseas customer has already acquired Eagle in this cabled configuration for use with an AN/VIC-3, company officials report.
The Eagle radio had a unique way of overcoming many of the limitations normally associated with low power 2.4 GHz radios, Williamson said. “What we have done in the Eagle’s network architecture is build in five automatic rebroadcasts within the ad hoc networking architecture. This is not controlled by a master or network controller in the system, but by individual Eagle radios themselves.”
The five-rebroadcast capability provides greater flexibility, range and area coverage for voice, low-speed data and situational awareness (SA) reporting. The basic range of Eagle is 800 meters, and with automatic rebroadcast, this can be extended to around 4.8 km, or more importantly around corners and into dead ground. Where voice and low-speed data share the same five rebroadcast architecture, SA does not.
SA is instead embedded into the controlling architecture and is repeated around the system automatically and independently of voice and low speed data. With up to 14 dedicated “slots” for SA, remote vehicles or users can update once every three seconds. With maximum network loading of 32 users, SA is updated around every 10 seconds. The automatic replication of SA is maintained, regardless of network loading.
This ad hoc networking has critical benefits for convoys in complex terrain. “In urban or mountainous terrain when a convoy goes around the corner, with conventional 2.4 Hz systems, if the master is round that corner, then you may have no means of getting to the master and consequently can’t communicate to any other radio. That is a major failing of many simple networked radios,” Williamson explained.
The Eagle network architecture has been specifically designed to ensure that the problems with fixed masters have been eliminated. There is no master within the Eagle network. Instead, Eagle’s Dynamic Network Controller (DNC) constantly moves around the network placing itself at the center of RF mass. If for some reason communications is lost between a group of radios and the DNC, then a new DNC is formed, seamlessly, to allow the isolated group to communicate. Once the networks come back together they reform using one DNC, again seamlessly.
PERSONAL ROLE RADIOS
Selex Communications’ new WVIS 07 is to be demonstrated to the Air Force at Malmstrom AFB in November as a means of linking convoys of HMMWVs within a voice network, according to Matt Jensen, senior systems analyst.
“Right now there are over 30,000 Personal Role Radios is service with U.S. forces on the ground,” explained Jensen. “We put the PRR inside an Intercom box that allows the user have full duplex communications in the vehicle. We are also achieving a vehicle-to-vehicle range of 3 km range using an external hockey puck antenna.”
For communications outside the immediate group of vehicles, when the lower button on the PRR is pressed, crew can talk through up to four connected CNRs. It also has a data port to plug in GPS. The system is due to be put into production later this year.
“WVIS 07 is maybe a tenth the cost of VIS-X. It’s very inexpensive, very easy to use, intuitive and wireless. That is its real advantage,” said Jensen.
In addition to local communications within the convoy, the Movement Tracking System (MTS), which provides reachback situational awareness and alerting functionality for logistics units, is being constantly improved, according to Eddie Coleman, director MTS at Comtech Mobile Datacom.
The Department of Defense is funding the delivery of the improved MTS Plus with a new one year contract, with two, one year options valued at up to $605 million. The new system continues to provide the same L-band sitcom-based connectivity with higher level command structures. In total, nearly 3,000 new MTS kits have been supplied to the Army this year.
A key feature of MTS Plus is the NCS Technologies Magnus terminal, which has improved on earlier features and has added others. They include an ambush or panic button, which once pressed alerts the systems and sends precise GPS co-ordinates to responding forces.
Coleman also said DoD had asked for installation kits for MTS Plus on commercial contractor trucks in theatre, with Comtech now finalizing the solution for use on Volvo, Mercedes, International and Freightliner vehicles. ♦
