Seamless networked communications between air and ground are a long-sought goal for the U.S. military and militaries around the world, and Rockwell Collins [COL] Monday said it’s found a solution with its TruNet solution.
TruNet offers a one-stop, integrated ground-air network comprised of three major components: the Rockwell Collins Airborne Radio (AR) and Ground Radio (GR) Series, along with advanced handheld technology from the company’s alliance partner, Thales of France.
Graphic: Rockwell Collins
The system debuts this week at the Army’s Global Force Symposium and Exhibition in Huntsville, Ala., and internationally in April at LAAD Defense & Security 2015 in Rio de Janeiro.
“Rockwell Collins, with its product depth and experience across ground and air domains, is uniquely qualified to provide an integrated ground-air network,” said Mike Jones, vice president and general manager of Communication and Navigation Products for Rockwell Collins. “All technical products that are part of the TruNet network run the exact same waveforms and capabilities and have the potential to support Joint Services and Coalition forces, enabling them to plug and play and work seamlessly together.”
The new software defined AR series is an evolution from the ARC-210/Talon radio and features one- and two-channel versions, the company said. The capable and fully exportable software defined radio (SDR) receiver-transmitters–the AR and GR series radios–are designed to meet growing operational requirements and are adaptable to offer customer-unique capabilities while conforming to SDR tenets and architectures.
The SDRs provide multiple waveforms, both narrow and wideband, high speed, mobile ad hoc networked communications, point-to-point data, voice and next-generation SATCOM capabilities, the company said March 30.
Both the AR and GR series solutions run advanced networking waveforms such as Soldier Radio Waveform (SRW), Wideband Networking Waveform (WNW) and the Mobile User Objective System (MUOS), along with legacy waveforms, creating a network capability that addresses the full range of military needs.