Canada: General Dynamics Canada has been awarded a CAD122 million, three-year contract to upgrade the Canadian Forces’ existing fleet of Combat Net Radios. The radio will be enhanced to allow for simultaneous operation of voice, messaging and positional awareness reporting, and capabilities not currently possible with the existing radio set. The upgrades will increase the throughput and speed of data transmission, bringing levels on par with newer military radios.
“The enhanced capabilities will maintain the viability of the Combat Net Radio for another decade and allow soldiers to operate on a modern battlefield with safety and awareness of what is going on around them,” says David Ibbetson, Vice President, General Dynamics C4 Systems International.
A team of professionals from General Dynamics, Rockwell Collins Canada (Ottawa, Ontario), and SigmaPoint Technologies (Cornwall, Ontario), will provide software and hardware upgrades for more than 11,000 Combat Net Radios and 6,800 Vehicle Interface Units. The upgrade project will consist of replacing the cryptographic and data transmission modules in the radio. According to a spokesperson from the company, the Combat Net Radio is the primary means of transmitting and receiving tactical voice and data communications on all Army operations and training missions. The Vehicle Interface Unit is a 50-watt amplifier that boosts the signal from the radio, thereby increasing its communication range.
Source: General Dynamics
