India's network centric warfare

RPK

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GeoIntelligence May-June 2010: Geospatial solutions: Geointelligence is key in precision warfare

Geospatial solutions: Geointelligence is key in precision warfare

KK Singh
KK Singh
CMD
Rolta India Ltd
Rolta is the leader in providing geospatial solutions for defence establishments in the country addressing the complete requirements in the sensor-to-shooter chain. Can you elaborate on the kind of products and solutions offered by Rolta?
Militaries across the globe have realised that it is not the number of forces that ensures victory, but the side which harnesses technology as enabling force multiplier. India is also looking to rapidly modernise its armed forces to derive maximum benefit from state-of-the-art, cutting edge military technology and has increased its budget for defence and homeland security segments significantly.

Rolta is indeed a leader in providing geospatial solutions and has been working with the Indian defence forces for more than two decades now and commands over 95% of their geospatial segment. Rolta is uniquely positioned to offer solutions covering the entire range of command, control, communications, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance (C4ISTAR) systems to meet the most stringent requirements of defence forces. The tremendous insights gained from close proximity support in conflict zones under extremely demanding conditions have led Rolta to evolve its offerings into a range of C4ISTAR solutions to address the entire spectrum of challenges faced by defence and security agencies.

Rolta C4ISTAR range of solutions include battlefield management systems for field units and higher echelons, multi-sensor data fusion systems to fuse inputs from various ground and air based sensors and present a coherent intelligence picture (CIP) to the decision makers, Miltrak & Soldier Radio systems to provide situational awareness capability in the battlefield down to the soldiers organised in companies, platoons and sections.

Rolta is rich in intellectual property (IP). This is an important differentiation. Indian defence is populated with our IP. We serve the needs of our customer without worrying about the cost factor. The Indian government, defence and homeland security agencies feel comfortable dealing with a company which is Indian and which has ownership of technology with them.

Modern war has three distinct levels — strategy, operational art and tactics. Can spatial intelligence play a pr ominent role in each of these levels and how?
Whether it is war or peace, geospatial information is essential for an intelligent and updated situational awareness at all levels. Any strategic decision related to movement of assets is assisted by geospatial information. Commanders can build scenarios for location of assets, such that they are easy accessible and resources can be speedily mobilised in case of outbreak of war or situations like natural or man-made calamities, acts of terrorism or insurgency.

Military commanders of all modern armies working in 'digital' battlefield environment utilise geospatial information of 'intelligent' maps and geospatial data as the foundation, on which they operate the C4ISTAR solutions to make effective command and control decisions, be it in strategic, operational or tactical context. At tactical level, soldiers upwards to their commanders at section, platoon, company and battalion level, are inter-connected and together see the common operations picture (COP) on a near real-time basis based on the geospatial backbone.

Such multiple tactical battlefield management systems at battalion level are further connected at the operational level to the higher level battlefield management system being operated by headquarters at brigade, division and corps. At strategic level of corps, command and army headquarters use geospatial intelligence system in a networked environment where a comprehensive and complete view of the theatre of operations is made available for strategising and monitoring the operations.

Network-centric warfare is increasingly used today. How do you see the changing way wars are fought and what is in stor e for the future?
Yes, the era of network-centric warfare is here with its precision sensors, battlefield management systems and effectors. For example, during the war in Iraq, high precision technologies were deployed to minimise civilian casualty. Military commanders are increasingly moving towards integrated C4ISTAR solutions to make effective command and control decisions in the 'digital' battlefield environment.

All nations are currently on the road to digitisation, transforming their armed forces into a coherent and synchronised organisation, enhancing the speed of sensing, decision making and proactive action, beating the enemies in 'observe orient decide and act' – OODA cycle. Today, it is possible to network digitised platforms and soldiers into a coherent sensor-command-shooter grid, with sensors, weapon systems, decision makers and shooters/actors connected with state-of-the-art communication systems.

Apart from the conventional war, anti-nationals like Naxals are creating new and asymmetrical threats. Low intensity conflicts between terrorists/anti-national elements are growing all over the world and India is one of the worst affected countries. Beyond conventional methods of engagement, security forces across the world are now required to actively counter terrorism, insurgency and other such homeland security operations. C4ISTAR systems configured to these specific needs can bring efficiency to sensor-to-action chain.

Rolta's Geosptial Fusion offers a decision support system for security agencies. Can you elaborate on its functionality?
Security is more than protection from terrorist attacks. It means protecting life, property and critical infrastructure from any disaster. Rolta's Geospatial Fusion enables multi-source data collection, integration, analysis and dissemination (data fusion from disparate databases) and supports over 200 non-geospatial database types. This solution provides the power to bring information together from various systems including legacy systems. Automated systems of various agencies like police, national and State intelligence agencies, municipal corporations, transport departments and hospitals can all be brought on to the same platform to provide a common operational picture for decision making and action.

Automation and real-time imaging analysis is the need of the hour for rapid mapping and feature extraction, change detection and assisted target detection and recognition. Is India catching up with these latest technological requirements?
Absolutely. India is very much catching up with these technologies. India's fast growing economy has led to an increased spending in defence and homeland security segments, year on year. A quantum jump is expected in defence CAPEX spending, which is likely to touch 50 billion USD over the next few years.

The need for rapid modernisation of the army, navy and air force has resulted in the government allocating a large budget for the year 2010-22 to Rs 147, 344 crore with about 40% allocated for capital acquisition budget – for new acquisitions, clearly indicating the trend towards modernising the defence sector.

India is investing in systems for multi-sensor data fusion, automated change detection including feature extraction, mission planning, GIS and MIS info exchange and image exploitation. Armed forces have initiated several modernisation programmes including soldier systems, radios, GPS tracking, night vision goggles, night vision weapon sights, automated minefield recording systems and thermal imaging fire control systems for tanks.


Besides, key projects are also being launched in maritime safety and security space for coastal surveillance by coastal police, national AIS by DG light house and light ships, vessel traffic management systems by various ports, night navigator system for high speed boat by Coast Guard, amongst others. Rolta is ready with solutions to address these modernisation needs with state-of-the-art technology, brought in from its foreign collaborators and its own R&D facility. With 20 years of domain knowledge in the country, Rolta has further customised and modified the solutions to enhance its usability in the Indian context. There is a tremendous momentum among internal security agencies after 26/11 to lap up latest technologies. Many States like Rajasthan J&K, Maharashtra are using our homeland security solutions. The real effect of a homogenous system will be felt only after some more time though.

GIS Development is launching a dedicated publication for defence and internal security community.
Defence and homeland security are the key for the survival of a nation, more so for a country like India, which is developing at a fast pace. Today, India's GDP has touched 1 trillion USD after 63 years of independence. But in the next 10 years, India's GDP is expected to touch 3-4 trillion and 5-6 trillion in 15 years. This is possible only when the country remains on a peaceful path of growth. GeoIntelligence magazine comes at the right time to create more awareness about the use of geospatial technologies in defence and internal security aspects. This is a laudable step.
 
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RPK

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Tactical Battlefield Communication System for Indian Armed Forces




The Minister of State for Defence Shri MM Pallam Raju has said that the Indian Armed Forces will soon have in place a Tactical Battlefield Communication system. Inaugurating a two day seminar on "Converged Info-structure for a Transformed Force" here today, Shri Pallam Raju said that the Tactical Communication System (TCS), a project of the Corps of Signals, is well on the way after some initial delays.

Calling upon the private industry to partner with the Armed Forces, Shri Pallam Raju said that the TCS "is being progressed under the 'Make' category and provides the Indian Industry an excellent opportunity to seek its share of defence production". Underling that the defence equipment manufacturers and development agencies cannot leave the mission critical performance to chance, he asked the industry to set up state-of-the-art testing facility for quality assurance.

In view of the distinct strength of the Indian I&CT industry, Shri Pallam Raju said that the Armed Forces expect "substantial participation by the private sector". "In order to synergise and enhance the national competence in producing globally competitive defence equipment without time and cost overruns, the government is exploring all viable initiatives such as formation of consortia, joint ventures and public-private partnerships", he said.

In his address, the Chief of Army Staff General V.K. Singh said that the battle space is slowly but surely shifting from Platform Centric to Network Centric Warfare. "A strong, robust and secure information grid is therefore a prerequisite for this. The information grid must always act as a force multiplier and an enabler for the soldier as well as the Commander in the battlefield", he said.

The Army Chief said that the drive towards network-centricity began a few years ago and has already been operationalised. "Once equipped, I see our Armed Forces increasingly harnessing the power of data and voice networks to blend decision makers, sensors and shooters into an efficient and lethal mix of flexible, coordinated and a fast moving combat force that uses information as a weapon to strike with pinpoint precision, and bring unprecedented firepower to bear with a much smaller strength in numbers", he said.

The Signal Officer-in-Chief Lt Gen P Mohapatra cautioned that the newer technologies also increased vulnerabilities of the forces. "Security must therefore remain a key central issue to the transformation process", he said.

The proceedings of the two-day seminar are being web-cast live on the Army Intranet and video conference with the Command Headquarters. The seminar also showcases the rich history of the Corps of Signals, which is celebrating its Centenary this year.

Tactical Battlefield Communication System for Indian Armed Forces | India Defence
 

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India made electronic warfare systems for IAF Mig-29s and LCA

Indian Air Force(IAF)'s Mig-29 and the home-made 'Tejus' Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) will have electronic warfare(EW) systems developed by India's DRDO from next year onwards. The older Mig-27 fighters are being equipped this year and operational trials are scheduled next year.

The tests would be held at two brand new EW ranges that the DRDO is building in the southern Indian states of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, said Prahlada, Chief Controller, R & D of DRDO. He was speaking at an EW conference in Bangalore. The two would be part of the 4,000-acre aeronautical test range in Chitradurga, some 200 km from Bangalore, and the 8,000-acre one in Tandur, some 135 km from Hyderabad.

Once the two new testing ranges are operational in 2012-13, experimental and R & D tests can be conducted, said Prahlada. At present, EW systems are tested in the IAF range in Gwalior in a limited way.

In 2012, Prahlada said India would fly a fourth-generational EW system, which is being developed by Defence Avionics Research Establishment and Defence Electronics Research Laboratory.
http://www.defenseworld.net/go/defensenews.jsp?subcatid=182&id=5282&h=India%20made%20electronic%20warfare%20systems%20IAF%20Mig-29s%20LCA
 

sesha_maruthi27

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AF Net brings Indian Air Force closer to network centric warfare



Defence Minister AK Antony today inaugurated the IAF's gigabyte digital information grid the AFNET (Air Force Network). The launch is a significant milestone in the IAF's quest towards achieving a capability for Network Centric (NCW).

Outlining the two-fold aim of Network for Spectrum approach of the government to facilitate the growth of national tele-density on the one hand, and ensuring modernization of defence communications with the state-of-the-art communication infrastructure, the network will have the potential to support net-centric operations, Antony said.

A practice interception of simulated enemy targets by a pair of Mig-29 fighter aircraft airborne from an advanced airbase in the Punjab sector neutralizing intruding targets in the western sector was played out live on the giant screens at the Air Force auditorium offering a glimpse of the harnessed AFNET potential.

Further, various other functionalities contributing towards NCW were also showcased. These comprised of facilitating video from Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), pictures from an AWACS aircraft to the decision-makers on ground sitting hundreds of kilometers away, providing intelligence inputs from far-flung areas at central locations seamlessly. This was possible mainly with the robust networking platform provided by AFNET.

AFNET Project with an estimated expenditure of Rs 1077 Cr, comprises of Internet Protocol (IP) Multi Protocol Switching Protocol (MPLS) based Network with Optic Fibre Cables (OFC) as backbone.

The AFNET Project has SATCOM Network as overlay, Line Of Sight (LOS) Radio for Metro Area and difficult terrains, as a back up to OFC links. The network is secured with a host of advanced state-of-the-art encryption technologies. It is designed for high reliability with redundancy built into the network design itself.

IAF envisages using AFNET communication network and enabled IT infrastructure for all operational, techno-logistics and administrative functions to leverage developments in this field so as to enhance operational efficiency, cost-effectiveness and ease of administration.

The AFNET project is a co-ordination between the MoD, the MoC & IT, PSUs such as BSNL and private industry. The committed industry effort was ably led by BSNL, M/s Cisco & HCL Infosystems Ltd.

While this fully secure and reliable nation-wide communication network will serve the IAF, the AFNET will also facilitate accelerated economic growth by providing radio frequency spectrum for telecommunication purposes. AFNET will be the largest Multi-protocol Label Switching (MPLS) network in the defence segment.
 

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Network Centric, Light Combat Helicopter with all weather operability impresses IAF and Army Aviation

HAL got compliments from all quarters today with the successful, official maiden flight of the Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) in Bangalore today. With some good engineering and commonalities with the Advanced Light Helicopter platform, it took HAL just 40 months to develop the LCH project which started in 2006.

The 5.8 tonne LCH inherits many technical features of the ALH Dhruv which includes the hingless-rotor system, transmission, Shakti engines, hydraulics, IADS, weapons system and avionics. The features that are unique to LCH are sleek & narrow fuselage, tri-cycle crashworthy landing gear, tandem cockpits, crash-worthy & self sealing fuel tanks, aero foil shaped stub wings for weapons, armour protection, NBC protection and low visibility features.

LCH is fitted with a 20mm turret gun which will be controlled by a helmet-mounted sighting system. Besides Air-to-Air missiles, it is believed that DRDO's Helina (NAG) anti-tank guided missile will also be integrated with this platform giving it significant air-to-ground attack capability.

The helicopter would have day/night targeting systems for the crew including the Helmet pointed sight and Electro-optical pod consisting of CCD camera/FLIR/laser range finder/laser designator. The LRF & LD facilitate measurement of range to the target & guidance to the Laser guided Missiles respectively. A Digital Video Recorder would enable recording of the vital mission for debriefing purposes.

The LCH is fitted with Self Protection Suite consisting of Radar/Laser Missile warning systems and Countermeasures dispensing system. It is also planned to integrate IR/Laser missile jammer on the helicopter.

The helicopter would be fitted with a Data Link for Network-centric operations facilitating transfer of the mission data to the other airborne platforms and ground stations operating in the network, thus facilitating force multiplication. It has a sophisticated mission system called the Target Acquistion and Designing System (TADS).

The machine is designed for low detection (visual, aural, radar & infra-red) and includes armour protection of critical areas. A 30 minute dry running capability of the gear box is a built in feature to survive after a ballistic hit to the transmission system. Crash-worthiness features are built into the wheel landing gear & structure. Dual redundant systems also enhance the effectiveness of the helicopter in the battlefield environment.

HAL claims that the performance features of the LCH i.e. rate of climb, cruise speed, service ceiling are on par, if not better than other helicopter in its class like A129/Tiger and with bigger dedicated combat helicopters like Apache, Kamov 30 or Mi-35.

The development team included members of HAL, Indian Air Force, the certification authorities CEMILAC, DGAQA and the various suppliers of the onboard systems. LCH prototype development was based on the concept of design, ground testing and fabrication concurrently. The design & manufacturing was carried-out using the state-of-art C.A.D/C.A.M facilities which obviated the requirement of an interface check rig. The ground testing included wind-tunnel testing, landing gear drop tests, and shake test. A mock up was also built for evaluation by the Indian Air Force.

Besides the Indian Air Force, the helicopter has also impressed the Army Aviation Corp who could use it in a surveillance role as they await the Light Observation Helicopter which will be a single engine version for high altitudes. Operational clearance is expected in 2012 with EcoTimes reporting that induction will begin in 2014.

Meanwhile, DNA reported on May 12 that the procurement of 197 reconnaissance & surveillance helicopters meant for Army Aviation may be cancelled.

Separately, speaking to ANI, HAL Chairman Ashok Nayak said that HAL is also working on the Lakshya Mark II UAV.
http://www.8ak.in/8ak_india_defence_news/2010/05/light-combat-helicopter-with-network-centric-warfare-capabilities.html
 

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Precision Electronics Limited (PEL) is a supplier of equipment and solutions for Military Communications, Command & Control, Electronic Warfare and Civil Communications. Its integrated design to production facilities are ideally suited for Land, Air and Sea based Defence Electronics Systems and Sub-Systems. We have the proud privilege of serving every Military Airfield, front line Naval Vessels and all Commands of the Indian Army.
PEL is seeking partnerships to meet Offset obligations of Global Defence companies engaged in India.
With a history of excellence spanning 30 years, state-of-art facilities in Noida & Roorkee and an employee base of more than 300, PEL is ready to take on the requirements of the Indian Armed Forces.
 

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http://www.zeenews.com/news653720.html

IAF set to become a net-centric combat force

New Delhi: The IAF is all set to boost its network centric warfare capability by kickstarting Air Force Network (AFNET), a reliable digital information grid that enables accurate and faster response to enemy threats, on September 14.

The modern, state-of-the-art AFNET will be a fully secure network, making IAF a true net-centric combat force and the first among the three services to complete interlinking major installations throughout the country on a high bandwidth network, an IAF spokesperson said in a press release here Wednesday.

The AFNET will replace the IAF's old communication network set-up using the tropo-scatter technology of the 1950s.

"This monumental achievement also marks the successful clearance of one milestone for release of radio spectrum, a very valuable but finite resource," the spokespeson said.

Defence Minister A K Antony will launch the AFNET services in the capital in the presence of Telecom Minister A Raja, he said.

The IAF project is part of the overall mission to network all three services. The mission comes in the backdrop of an Information Technology Roadmap document of the Defence Ministry stipulating automation, simulated training and mandatory computer proficiency in the services.


"IAF has taken up a mandate to create and maintain an assured, dedicated, secure and inter-operable communication network along with associated services to provide real time, instantaneous transfer of information between Sensors, Command and Control (C2) centres and Shooters," the release said.

In addition, IAF aspires to use communication network and IT-enabled infrastructure for all other operational, techno-logistics and administrative functions to leverage development in this field to enhance efficiency, cost-effectiveness and ease of administration, it said.

The spokesperson said all major formations and static establishments had been linked through a secure Wide Area Network (WAN) and were accessible through data communication lines.

The nationwide programme was launched by the IAF in collaboration with the private industry to accelerate the use of Information Technology (IT) as well as to link all field units using a dedicated satellite.


"AFNET incorporates the latest traffic transportation technology in form of IP (Internet Protocol) packets over the network using Multi Protocol Label Switching (MPLS). A large VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) layer with stringent quality of service enforcement will facilitate robust, high quality voice, video and conferencing solutions," he said.

The Integrated Air Command and Control System (IACCS), an automated command and control system for Air Defence (AD) operations, will ride the AFNET backbone integrating all ground-based and airborne sensors, AD weapon systems and C2 nodes.

Subsequent integration with other services networks and civil radars would provide an integrated Air Situation Picture to operators to carry out AD role.

AFNET will be an effective force multiplier for intelligence analysis, mission planning and control, post-mission feedback and related activities like maintenance, logistics and administration, the spokesperson said.

A comprehensive design with multi-layer security precautions for 'Defence in Depth' have been planned by incorporating encryption technologies, Intrusion Prevention Systems to ensure the resistance of the IT system against information manipulation and eavesdropping, he said.

PTI
 

RPK

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IAI bags contract for IAF's pilot operational data link project news

http://www.domain-b.com/defence/air_space/iaf/20090120_iai_bags_contract.html

New Delhi: The Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) may have been awarded a pilot contract to develop an operational data link (ODL) for the Indian Air Force's fighter fleet. The IAI had bid for the contract along with another Israeli firm Rafael and American defence contractor Lockheed Martin.

A global tender for the pilot project had apparently been issued in 2006. Though all three vendors were technically qualified IAI had bid the lowest amount. If reports are to be believed then Rafael apparently offered to carry out the contract for free, which apparently became a ground for its rejection!

The ODL is a pilot project for the IAF's network-centric warfare programme which will provide the force with the capability to field advanced data and voice networking over the next 10 years. The system will enable disparate units to share critical information, including data from the battlefield, and make for speedier decision making.

Under the main project, fighter and transport aircraft, helicopters and surveillance platforms, including the Israeli Phalcon Advanced Warning and Control Systems, UAVs and space and ground radars will all be networked. All these assets will then be looped into the main network-centric warfare project, the Aerospace Planning and Execution system.

Under the pilot programme the air force will network selected aircraft and ground stations in order to obtain experience in developing standard operating procedures, integrating platform mission computers and training operational and maintenance personnel.

The ODL network-centric warfare programme will be carried out in phases, and the entire program is scheduled to be operational by 2012.
 

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Delhi Police selects Barco for city's first C4I Surveillance Center

New Delhi, 18 August 2010 – HCL Security Ltd. – a subsidiary of HCL Infosystems, India's premier systems integration company – has chosen Barco to be the visualization partner in a prestigious project to set up a new C4i (Command, Control, Communication, Computing and Intelligence) center in Delhi. The project, due to be completed this month, is to provide a highly sophisticated surveillance system for communication with Delhi patrol officers during the Commonwealth Games 2010.
"We selected Barco for its state-of-the-art solution, advanced technology and local service and support. We appreciate Barco's quick response and efforts to execute this project on time, and we look forward to working on more projects with them in the future," said Mr. Rothin Bhattacharya, CEO, HCL Security Ltd.

The C4i center will benefit from Barco's latest LED-based technology, consisting of sixteen 50" display cubes along with two 46" Narrow-bezel LCD monitors and the state-of-the-art control room management suite. Nearly 1000 police control room (PCR) vans, 12 police video monitoring vehicles and 700 other monitoring vehicles are to be linked to the center. Live feeds from cameras will be displayed at the center, and threat information – color-coded in red, yellow or green, according to the severity of the threat – will be flashed across the screens. Any suspicious movement, or an emergency, will be spotted at the center and relayed to the local police.

"Barco's technology is being used to ensure the safety of people in more than 100 metropolitan areas throughout the world. We are proud and honored to contribute to the safety of Delhi during the Commonwealth Games 2010," said Mr. Nalin Advani, Managing Director, Barco India.

About HCL Security Ltd.
Part of the $5 billion HCL Enterprise, HCL Security Ltd. focuses on key verticals of homeland security (city security, border security, and coastal security), critical infrastructure (airports, mass transport, power, shipping ports, and oil pipelines), and enterprise security. The company provides a set of customized world-class solutions that leverage technology to create an Integrated Security Framework for government, infrastructure, and business organizations.

About Barco
Barco, a global technology company, designs and develops visualization products for a variety of selected professional markets. Barco has its own facilities for Sales & Marketing, Customer Support, R&D and Manufacturing in Europe, North America and Asia Pacific. Barco (NYSE Euronext Brussels: BAR) is active in more than 90 countries with about 3300 employees worldwide. Barco posted sales of 638 million euro in 2009.



link:-http://www.barco.com/en/controlrooms/pressrelease/2586/
 

RPK

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Army Radio Engineered Network (AREN) (India), Communication systems - Land
Description
AREN is a tactical area radio communications system that provides Indian ground forces with secure, computerised area grid communication network capabilities. It first entered service in the early 1990s and includes HF and VHF radios at various command levels, microprocessor-controlled radio relay systems and mobile analogue and digital microwave tropospheric scatter systems.A significant element of AREN is the Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL) truck-mounted, shelterised trunk exchange known as the Automatic Electronic Switch (see entry Automatic Electronic Switch Mk-II). This can handle 192 digitised voice, 256 teleprinter and 32 digital data channels. The equipment's facilities include multilevel priority pre-emption, automatic disconnection of defective or inactive teleprinters and data terminals and short-test good quality route selection.Other elements of AREN are understood to include the BEL Time Division Modular Exchange or TIDEX (see entry Time Division Modular Exchange (TIDEX)), the Data Concentrator (DC), the Radio Trunk System (RTS), the Radio Local System (RLS) and the Digital Trunk Concentrator (DTC).The DC is a statistical multiplex and concentrator designed to enhance the data communication capability of AREN. It additionally provides data communication integration between the Army Static Switched Communication Network or ASCON (see entry ASCON) and AREN. It can be operated independently to provide data communication connectivity to a large number of subscribers spread over an extended area.The RTS was designed to support commanders in the field. A tactical, digital duplex mobile system comparable to a cellular network, the DTC provides connectivity for 12 subscribers a distance of up to 20 km (in association

Status
AREN has been in service since the early 1990s. The RLS was developed in the early 1990s. The DC underwent user trials in mid-1999.AREN is understood to have been integrated with the Indian Army's Automatic Message Switching/Handling System (AMSS) and Army Static Communication Network (ASCON, see separate entry). In 2005 it was reported that AREN was being supplemented by the construction of a cellular network for field formations.AREN is being replaced by the Tactical Communication System (TCS). The AMSS is being replaced by the Army Wide Area Network (AWAN).It is reported that the TCS is designed as a system meant for offensive operations, and will comprise trunk nodes such as the key bandwidth carrier connection points, terminating at access nodes for Brigade-level communications. From there links will move forward to unit-level command posts at Company level. A number of suppliers have been associated with TCS, although as of the beginning of March 2010 no prime contractor had officially been nominated.

Army Radio Engineered Network (AREN) (India) - Jane's C4I Systems
 

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