Vanguard Magazine

s sOlDIer OF THE FUTURE 26 FEBRUARY/MARCH 2016 www.vanguardcanada.com The system is based on a Linux oper- ating system because the Army wanted a system that had an open architecture, so that it could be expanded to run additional applications in the future. Aside from allowing the soldier to com- municate by voice, the system also enables the transmission of data. It will enable sol- diers to indicate targets to ground com- manders, as well as determine the loca- tion of friendly troops and vehicles on the ground to synchronize activity and avoid friendly fire. The system is compatible with a HUD unit but at this stage of the program such a setup was not required, according to Tremblay. "The intent was not to add too much weight to what the regular infantry soldier is currently carrying," he explains. Infantry soldiers generally carry around 35 to 40 kilos of gear. A portable trans- ceiver would add around another 6.2 kilos to that. The suite developed by Rheinmetall weighs only 4 kilos. Tremblay also says that it was important not to burden troops with the difficulty of training on unfamiliar technology. Hence the use of a smartphone-like de- vice with command gestures akin to those required to operate typical mobile devices. Still, Canada is in the "forefront" when it comes to ISS deployment for regular troops. "As far as I know, Canada is only the third country to order such a system for its regu- lar troops. Other forces may have similar systems but provide them for their special forces systems, " according to Tremblay. France has a similar system for its army and Rheinmetall worked on an expanded integrated system for the modular Future Soldier of the German Bundeswehr. So-called tactical wearable systems can operate on the hardened networks or mo- bile ad hoc networks (MANETs), which the Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC) is working on. MANETs are in fact a part of the larger ISSP. The MANETs, which are being devel- oped with the help of researchers from Carlton University, are essentially peer- to-peer Internet networks that connect mobile devices. They are self-forming and self-healing and don't rely on centralize resources of fixed infrastructures such as cellular towers. In the battlefield, for instance, each infantry soldier wearing mobile devices connected to the network would act as a connection or node to the network. As soldiers move about, their devices adapt and enable data to hop from one device to the next. The setup avoids the problem of degradation of signals due to obstacles such as buildings. Should one or more connected devices fail or lose reception, the remaining devices can adapt and con- tinue to communicate. MANETs have no central security au- thority, so researchers are developing new security methods based on device behav- iors and algorithms to analyze and au- thenticate a device's radio signal. Rheinmetall was also awarded the con- tract to provide the armed forces with a Medium Range Radar (MRR) system. The MMR system will enable the armed forces to determine the launch and im- pact points of enemy rockets, artillery and mortar rounds. The system can track hostile and friendly aircraft, as well as un- manned air vehicles, cruise missiles and anti-radiation missiles. Tremblay envisions the interaction of the MRR with the Integrated Soldier Sys- tem enabling troops on the ground to rec- ognize if enemy rockets are on their way within 10 to 15 seconds of the signal be- ing received. "This is the new warfare," he says. "Technology provides us with access to tremendous amounts of information, the challenge is how commanders can dissem- inate it to the troops on the ground and vice-versa." "Canada is in the forefront when it comes to Iss deployment for regular troops"

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