ArmyTimes – EEUU: «Nuevas radios para incrementar la capacidad de las tropas de infantería»

El ejército norteamericano proporcionará un «smartphone de mano» a cada soldado que permitirá la transmisión de voz, fotos, videos y tendrá GPS. Sustituirá a «la mochila de tamaño voluminoso PRC-155 Manpack desarrollada por General Dynamics y Thales.

4 de abril de 2013 – Primera transmisión

Lamentablemente, «la radio suministrada por General Dynamics no ha tenido muchos fans en las pruebas realizadas» según publicó «Defense Industry Dayly» el pasado 13 de junio. Se indica que las 14 libras de peso (7 kg.) de la radio, sus 3 km. de alcance y las 6 horas de funcionamiento que proporcionan sus baterías, no convencen. Pesa el doble, su alcance es inferior a la mitad y las baterías duran la quinta parte que las radios a las que va a sustituir. Mención aparte, es el problema de sobrecalentamiento de las baterías que al parecer, provocan quemaduras de primer grado a los soldados, quienes también se muestran reticentes a cargar con baterías de repuesto.

El Mayor General HR McMaster, comandante del Centro de Maniobra del Ejército de Excelencia, en Fort Benning, Georgia, manifestó:

«El Centro de Maniobras de Excelencia considera la radio de mochila portatil HMS inadecuada para los equipos de brigadas de combate …. Una radio que es más pesada y proporciona menor rango, mientras se demanda una mayor logística no proporciona a nuestras unidades más capacidad de funcionamiento. Además, cualquier radio que pone a nuestros soldados en riesgo por quemaduras es inaceptable «.

Sources: NDIA National Defense, “Army Tactical Radios in the Crosshairs After Scathing Review”.

Ver noticia

«New radios to boost data capacity for dismounted troops

By Kyle Jahner, Staff Writer  10:07 a.m.  EST January 24, 2015

The Army plans to give more dismounted leaders better mapping, GPS and communications tools at their disposal in battle.

Rifleman Radio technology currently fielded by select brigade combat teams will become widespread in coming years, as a Request for Proposal released Jan. 6 calls for up to 171,933 more. The RFP slates full-rate production slated to start in fiscal 2017.

«We’re expanding the fielding of this,» said Paul Mehney, director for strategic initiatives at Army Program Executive Office C3T (Command Control Communications-Tactical). «It’s good because it connects more soldiers into the network, which they have very limited ability to do today.»

The Rifleman Radio system provides phone-sized hand-held units to soldiers that, since 2012, can connect to the Nett Warrior System. Nett Warrior is the situation awareness and mission command system dismounted leaders can access on a handheld smartphone.

«Dismounted infantrymen can send data back through the system and receive data from those platforms as they’re dismounted,» Mehney said. «It allows the capability to transmit the kind of data that SRW (Soldier Radio Waveform) cannot do now.»

That data capacity a Rifleman radio can channel allows soldiers to receive and send photos, video, and other communications while dismounted, all without the bulky backpack-sized PRC-155 Manpack. It also provides operational maps and GPS to keep track of locations of soldiers.

There had been initial problems in testing the radios, the first batch of which were made by General Dynamics and Thales, with the Nett Warrior system.

A 2012 Defense Department report said Network Integration Evaluation had determined the Rifleman, which uses SRW and Single Channel Ground and Airborne Radio System waveform (SINCGARS), displayed insufficient range and reliability.

But Mehney said feedback from those evaluations and feedback from deployed units have been incorporated to improve capabilities. That, he said, was what allowed the Army to move on the full order.

«Acceptable improvements allowed the program to achieve a full rate production decision. We believe the full rate competitive marketplace will also yield iterative advances in radio capability and functionality,» Mehney said.

So far, 21,379 Rifleman radios have been purchased, of which 19,327 have been delivered. Mehney said some of the divisions using them include the 10th Mountain Division, 101st Airborne Division, and 82^ndAirborne Division.

The competitive Non-Developmental Item classification of the RFP effectively allows the Army to buy new and possibly cheaper technology as it develops after initial orders, Mehney said. The Army hopes that will reduce costs and allow tech not yet available into the field under this orde​r.

The 171,933 radios in the RFP represents a maximum; the Army doesn’t have to purchase that many, and can buy the radios through 2032.»