Preserving capacity, General Tom Lawson, Chief of the Defence Staff, Keys to Canadian SAR
Issue link: http://vanguardcanada.uberflip.com/i/139409
C C4ISR by Vanguard Staff The resurgence of high frequency radio R ockwell Collins is breathing new life into an old technology. The company recently conducted live over-the-air tests of its Wideband High Frequency radio between its facilities in Ottawa and its corporate headquarters in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, a distance of 1500 kilometers. That might not seem impressive, given that HF radio has long been a primary means of long haul communications. But the demonstration included streaming of full colour video and ad hoc Internet Protocol networking, something never done before because of the traditionally low data rate of HF radio. "We were able to take our networking technologies and product "Any place where you have remote sites and re-spin it to enable us to crelike the Arctic or ships out on the ocean ate an HF waveform, along with ... it's a very good alternative." — Lee Obst some regulatory changes, that allows us to put 10 times the data nificant. The first live over-the-air test was conducted a month rate over HF than used to be possible," said Lee Obst, managing ago for a single customer, who then asked Rockwell Collins director of Rockwell Collins Government Systems Canada. "You to repeat the test for invited guests that include over 30 ofcan think of it as a very long range, wireless network." ficers and senior NCOs from the Canadian navy, army and air And without the high user fees of satellite communications. force as well as several U.S. exchange officers and other foreign The technology is not without its limitations. "You'll never get partners. the high definition video streaming you do with a satellite, but it "We believe it fits well with the Canadian strategy for expandis equivalent to low data rate satellite communications," Obst, a ing capabilities in the North. As you expand capabilities and open former CF-18 pilot, said. "And it is sufficient to provide you an up the Northwest Passage and shipping lanes and so forth, the IP data network." demand would be there for communications," he said. "HF is an Atmospheric conditions, amount of available frequency and the excellent means of providing that because you have long distances number of other users can also effect the flow of data. But Rockwell and few remote sites along the way." Collins, which developed the Wideband High Frequency product He noted that the Canadian Armed Forces faces obsolescence and wave form in Ottawa, believes it can mitigate most of those. issues with some of the equipment that makes up its strategic HF "We've also created new fourth generation automatic link estabnetwork currently operating in the North – Rockwell Collins has lishment software which helps to find the best transmission path replaced equipment at some sites over this past year while working possible [without] operator input," he said. with the Royal Canadian Navy – and WHF would provide a more WHF is not viewed as a replacement for satellite communicacapable solution. tions but rather as another tool or an alternative when satellite "[For] the military users, this is seen as a backup for satellite service is too expensive or unavailable. And that makes it an atcommunication. In a satellite-denied environment, be it due to tractive option for operations in the Arctic. jamming or any other disruption, HF is a viable alternative." And "Any place where you have remote sites like the Arctic or ships because of its ability to provide a digital IP network with sufficient out on the ocean, anywhere you don't have good infrastructure or data rate to be operationally useful, Obst believes there could be it is very expensive to put in place, it's a good alternative, particua "resurgent demand for HF." larly up North because you don't have very good satellite coverThe company has also been participating in several research age either," Obst said. projects with the U.S. navy through the office of naval research to Although WHF was not designed for a particular defence develop HF protocols and standards. program, Obst said the initial reaction to the capability was sig22 JUNE/JULY 2013 www.vanguardcanada.com