The Joint Program Executive Office Joint Tactical Radio System (JPEO JTRS) last week announced that the Wideband Networking Waveform (WNW), a critical capability of the JTRS, successfully demonstrated its validated design and tactical utility June 3 and 4.
Thirty ground mobile radios were used in the largest demonstration of the capability to date during the multi-node demonstration with senior service and Defesne Department officials at the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center, Charleston, S.C.
“The Wideband Networking Waveform overcomes many mobile networking challenges,” Navy Capt. Jeffrey Hoyle, program manager, JTRS Network Enterprise Domain, said in a statement. “We’ve now demonstrated this capability successfully scales to tactically useful numbers of nodes in an operationally relevant environment and is on track to meet joint warfighter requirements to provide a flexible and pervasive networking capability to address the challenges of modern battlefields.”
The event demonstrated how the WNW, operating on JTRS ground mobile radios, can effectively network 30 mobile and static nodes, sharing data and video across multiple sub- networks in a challenging, heavily forested suburban environment with significant multi-path propagation effects.
“During this field demonstration testing, WNW performed as expected, and we were able to validate laboratory performance improvements from recent waveform algorithm enhancements in the field,” Hoyle said. “The ability to integrate waveform enhancements rapidly while testing in the field, three times in as many weeks, thoroughly demonstrated a significant advantage that JTRS provides–the ability to upgrade warfighter communications and networking capability while deployed through software only updates in fielded radios.
“This is an important accomplishment, and this capability that has now been successfully demonstrated in a field environment can be leveraged continuously throughout the WNW product lifecycle”
The WNW networking waveform allows connections among vehicles, planes, and ships utilizing mobile networking technologies. WNW can transit more information with greater security and provide new capabilities to seamlessly route and retransmit information.
Performance results measured during this demonstration indicated a significant new networking capability, the JPEO statement said. This capability will continue to improve as the data collected are thoroughly analyzed to enable additional waveform software upgrades, as well as through processor and power amplifier improvements inherent with the improved Ground Mobile Radio Engineering Development Model hardware being delivered now and the Airborne/Maritime/Fixed Station hardware in the future.