Over the last year, we’ve spent a whole lot of time chronicling the woes of the Joint Tactical Radio System. That’s the Pentagon’s star-crossed $6.8 billion effort to replace their with just a few digital ones. It’s the backbone of the military’s effort to modernize itself. And it is not going well.
But “Jitters,” as the program is Pentagonese, hasn’t gotten much mainstream press attention — largely, I think, because its sprawling and confusing, even for a Defense Department project. (Jitters has four “clusters” of radios, for example — the last of which is “Cluster 5.”)
The current issue of Defense Technology International (pgs 30–34) does the best job I’ve seen so far at picking through the Jitters tangle, detailing what’s working, and what’s holding the radio project back. Check it out.
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Recon on Radio Project
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The first paragraph-and-a-half talk about troops using COTS radios, and in passing highlights the biggest (IMHO) problem therein– security. FRS radios from Wal-Mart score high on durability, user-friendliness, and interoperability thanks to the Family Radio Service standard. Unfortunately, they therefore fail on (militarily) important tests of security and EW-resistance.
Any insurgent with a scanner or other wide-band receiver can tune in any time he wants, and if he has an FRS radio of his own (or some commonly-available equipment) he can blot out whatever channel the troops are using.
The solution which presents itself is a quick merger of FRS technologies with features common to business-level walkie talkies already in use by the military; retain the preset frequencies, since this makes coordination easy, but use a waveform which is easy to encrypt and jamming-resistant. Spread-spectrum waveforms (like CDMA) offer both of these options.
With the caveat that some these may not be compatible or adaptable, I suggest this: an intrasquad radio using FRS form factors, a preset bank of 30 UHF frequencies, CDMA “guts” and DES-type encryption which can be loaded by keypad.
FRS form factors allow use of COTS FRS hardware and accessories, preset channels simplify the frequncy-picking fuss, CDMA is jam-resistant and already heavily used for cell phones, and DES encryption is more than enough to prevent eavesdropping.
One last thing– all this goes out the window if we ever have to fight another MTW against an enemy well versed in EW and ECM.
That was about the dumbest post I have ever read. FRS radios and cell phones have a range of, at best, 5 miles. JTRS is about a BATTLEFIELD capability, covering hundreds of miles with voice, data, and video. JTRS solves a lot of problems on paper, but the reality is that it is nearly a complete disaster.
“Excuse me,” he says waving his hand in the air. “But can anyone tell me why the Pentagon went to an aircraft company for radios? Why didn’t they job this one out to a communications company?”
Harris Corporation — RF Communications Division is a subcontractor on the JTRS Clusters.
Very interested theme, with attention I will read following registration fees.
very interested theme; I will back, thanks!
Ed,
If you’ll kindly re-read the post I made, you’ll find I was proposing an INTRA-SQUAD RADIO, not a JTRS replacement. I’m well aware of the difference. Furthermore, the USMC ended up doing almost exactly what I was proposing, right down to the anti-jamming waveform.
Would that I’d revistited this post a year ago. Oh well.
Fantastic article covering some points I really needed some good usability info for.
Very interested theme.
Good.
One last thing– all this goes out the window if we ever have to fight another MTW against an enemy well versed in EW and ECM.
very interested. I must watch this site for a long time.
Cheers mate !
good advice
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thanks…
very interested article, realy great
realy nice theme, great work, thanks for all ..