Boeing JTRS Ground Mobile Radios Team Demonstrates Integrated Communications

Boeing [NYSE: BA] and the U.S. Department of Defense Joint Program Executive Office, Joint Tactical Radio System (JPEO JTRS) have demonstrated how software-defined Ground Mobile Radios (GMRs) are able to operate with one another in a tactical operational environment.

The monthlong demonstration of the Joint Tactical Radio System, Ground Mobile Radios (JTRS GMR) system concluded Oct. 3 and included a 12-node, secure, self-healing, multichannel network operating in the field at the Electronic Proving Grounds at Fort Huachuca, Ariz. The test verified the evolving maturity of the GMR system in preparation for a government-run system integration test in late 2009.

"The team was able to communicate with voice, video and data communications across the network as vehicles continuously moved through scenarios," said Ralph Moslener, Boeing JTRS GMR program manager.

The extensive field experiment involved over-the-air operations using pre-engineering development models that were running the GMR operating system as well as the Wideband Networking Waveform (WNW) and the JTRS Wideband Networking Waveform Network Manager (JWNM) -- all in various network and platform configurations. The team verified that 80 percent of the final WNW waveform design is complete. The current version of the WNW demonstrated the system's stability and mobility, as multiple moving vehicles communicated in a live environment.

The testing also analyzed the JWNM's situational awareness and position location reporting system. This network-management software automates initialization and deployment of the JTRS radios and management of the network.

"Numerous scripted tests with various data modes, frequencies and distances were executed by the Boeing team and analyzed by government personnel during the field event," said Moslener. "The tests included demonstrating a 12-node static and mobile test on a flat network using three GMRs in fixed locations, five mounted on U.S. Army High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles, and four mounted on Future Combat Systems (FCS) vehicles with GMR configurations and antennas."

This demonstration concludes eight months of successful field tests, including the ground domain field demonstration conducted in March as part of the program's incremental development plan. JTRS GMR is included in the FCS "B-kits" that were tested in the U.S. Air Force-led Joint Expeditionary Force Experiment 2008 in April as well as the July FCS exercise in New Mexico.

The JTRS GMR system, a key enabler of network-centric communications, delivers transformational networked communications on-the-move at the tactical edge to support information sharing and combat readiness between service branches. It puts the full power of the Global Information Grid into the hands of the warfighter and takes network situational awareness beyond the Tactical Operations Center.