The Joint Program Executive Office, Joint Tactical Radio System (JPEO JTRS) International Programs Directorate and the Future Combat Systems (FCS) Joint Interagency Multi- National Interoperability (JIMI) team recently completed a communications interoperability demonstration expected to improve and benefit coalition warfighting capabilities.
JPEO JTRS and FCS JIMI partnered with the U.K. Defence Science and Technology Laboratory and the Defence Equipment and Support agency to participate in the Multinational Experiment (MNE) 3.0 at Ft. Monmouth, N.J. April 29, the JPEO office said in a May 11 statement.
MNE 3.0 successfully demonstrated interoperability between the U.S. ITT [ITT] -developed Soldier Radio and the U.K. Advanced Digital Radio+ using the JTRS Bowman Waveform (JBW).
MNE 3.0 included many first-time achievements that offer the opportunity to improve battlefield interoperability with coalition partners, the office said.
For example, the porting and demonstrated operation of JBW in a handheld software defined radio. The demonstration also successfully demonstrated interoperability through the exchange of secure voice and data between the two nations’ communications systems. The demonstration also was able to use a foreign nations’ cryptographic keying material in a U.S. secure network.
The demonstration was performed in a non-radiating laboratory environment where the team successfully exchanged data using voice messaging, and demonstrated the ability to pass crucial situational awareness and fire control data on a shared U.S. and U.K. communications network, the JPEO JTRS wrote.
Working closely with the National Security Agency and its U.K. counterpart, Communications Electronics Security Group, the U.S. imported and used U.K. non-U.S. mission data and keying material for the experiment.
This unprecedented use of foreign crypto was critical to the successful interoperability between the two nations’ radios, and will support development of processes for future exchange of tactical keying material for coalition usage, the JPEO JTRS statement said.
Future plans include expanding the success of this experiment by conducting live–radiating–demonstrations where mission data will be transmitted in a real-time battlefield environment. These objectives and demonstrations are being pursued under the Memorandum of Understanding and Project Arrangements concerning interoperability of tactical communications systems between the two governments.