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1www.globalmilitarycommunications.com | June 2019

Global Military Communications Magazine

June 2019

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Mobile battlefield - page 18

GMC

No part of this publication may betransmitted, reproduced or electronicallystored without the written permission fromthe publisher.

DS Air Publications does not give anywarranty as to the content of the materialappearing in the magazine, its accuracy,timeliness or fitness for any particularpurpose. DS Air Publications disclaims allresponsibility for any damages or lossesin the use and dissemination of theinformation.

All editorial contentsCopyright © 2019 DS Air PublicationsAll rights reserved

DS Air Publications1 Langhurstwood RoadHorshamWest Sussex, RH12 4QDUnited KingdomT: +44 1403 273973F: +44 1403 273972admin@dsairpublications.comwww.globalmilitarycommunications.com

EditorAmy [email protected]

News & Social Media EditorLaurence [email protected]

SalesSam [email protected]

Circulation ManagerElizabeth George

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PublisherRichard [email protected]

Marketing and Business DevelopmentBelinda [email protected]

Managing DirectorDavid [email protected]

ContentsNews review 4/5

Beyond Blue Force Tracking 6

Q&A Rick Lober, Vice President of Defense and IntelligenceSystems Division at Hughes Network Systems 10

Cloud-based connectivity 14

Endpoint security 16

Mobile battlefield 18

The developing UAS market 20

If you would like to supply information for future issues of GMC pleasecontact Amy Saunders, Editor.

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Damen signs Phase II contract with the IOMfor nine additional SAR 1906

GMC

Damen SAR 1906 search and rescue boats for the Turkish Coast

At a signing ceremony held at the International Organization for Migration (IOM) offices in Ankara, Turkey, Vladimer Gvilava,chief of mission IOM in Turkey, and Boran Bekbulat, Damen sales manager Turkey, signed a contract for the building and deliveryof nine Damen SAR 1906 search and rescue boats for the Turkish Coast Guard Command.

Financed by the European Union, these 19-metre boats will be in addition to the six vessels of the same class ordered in 2016,which were delivered to Turkish Coast Guard Command the following year. The first two of the new order will be delivered in thesummer of 2020 with the remaining seven due to come into service over the following 12 months. The state-of-the-art vessels willbe built to the same specification as their predecessors with some additional fine tuning and will also be operated by the TurkishCoast Guard Command to support their ongoing migrant rescue operations.

The SAR 1906 has been developed by Damen in close cooperation with KNRM (Royal Netherlands Sea Rescue Institution),TU Delft and maritime design bureau De Vries Lentsch, as a fast, harbour-based, all weather, self-righting rescue boat. The designhas been further improved in close cooperation with the Turkish Coast Guard Team and modified for their specific operations.Turkish design office DzaynGate, located in TeknoPark in Pendik-Istanbul, also worked on the adaptations of the design for thenew series.

The SAR 1906 has an aluminium hull and a composite wheelhouse. With its hull design based on Damen’s Axe Bow technologywith certain adaptations to optimise it for rescue operations, it can achieve a top speed of more than 33 knots and has a range of300nm at full load.

The construction of the boats will take place at Damen’s Turkish yard, Damen Shipyards Antalya. Located in the Antalya FreeZone, the yard has accomplished some significant export figures since its establishment in 2013, having delivered to internationalcustomers more than 70 vessels ranging from 10-metre fast boats to 80-metre RoRo ferries. The yard currently has 360 localemployees plus an average of 200 subcontractors working on-site at any time. The yard’s managing director, Auke van der Zee,who is notably the only foreigner amongst his Turkish colleagues, notes, “We kept our promises in delivering all the SAR 1906boats for the first phase as quickly as possible in response to the need for ongoing migrant rescue operations, and we arededicated to doing the same for this second phase.”

“We are so proud and glad to receive a continuation contract from our client,” added Damen’s Boran Bekbulat. “The cooperationamong all the parties involved in the first phase was very successful. We are very excited to be teaming up again to make a newsuccess story together.”

For nearly all vessel types Damen offers a broad range of services, including maintenance, spare parts delivery, training andthe transfer of (shipbuilding) know-how. Damen also offers a variety of marine components, such as nozzles, rudders, winches,anchors, anchor chains and steel works.

Damen Shiprepair & Conversion (DSC) has a worldwide network of eighteen repair and conversion yards of which twelve arelocated in North West Europe. Facilities at the yards include more than 50 floating (and covered) drydocks, including the longest,420 x 80 metres, and the widest, 405 x 90 metres, as well as slopes, ship lifts and indoor halls. Projects range from the smallestsimple repairs through Class’ maintenance to complex refits and the complete conversion of large offshore structures. DSCcompletes around 1,300 repair and maintenance jobs annually, both at yards as well as in ports and during voyage.




Lockheed Martin team enhances Commandand Control for ballistic missile defense

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Through ongoing modernization to the command, control, battle management and communications system, LockheedMartin's team has significantly enhanced the Missile Defense Agency's Ballistic Missile Defense System. Part of this C2BMCmodernization is an engage on remote capability that enables the Aegis Weapon System to engage threats based on informationprovided entirely from C2BMC remote sensor and track data.

Operationally fielded in 2004, C2BMC enables warfighters at all levels to systematically plan ballistic missile defense operations,collectively see the battle develop and dynamically manage designated networked sensors and weapons.

Fielded in fiscal year 2019 to the US European and US Central Commands, C2BMC's engage on remote capability supportsthe European Phased Adaptive Approach Phase III milestone, which is designed to protect US deployed forces and NATO alliesin Europe from ballistic missile attacks.

“Engage on remote provides an additional layer of defense by providing more time to react to threats,” said Steve Froelich,director of Missile Defense Solutions at Lockheed Martin. “It is through C2BMC, and its connection to the many elements of theBallistic Missile Defense System, that we provide our forces with an advanced, truly integrated missile defense capability.”

Preceding its deployment to the combatant commands, C2BMC's engage on remote capability was successfully demonstratedas part of a Missile Defense Agency flight test in December 2018, where the Aegis Weapon System utilized remote sensor dataprovided by C2BMC to plan, launch and engage a missile without detecting the target with the organic Aegis radar.

Using its ground, air and space-based command and control architecture, C2BMC detected the threat, tracked the missilethrough its connection to ballistic missile defense radars, locked onto the target, then relayed the target location to the Aegissystem. By enabling Aegis interceptors to conduct operations based entirely on off-board radar information, C2BMC greatlyexpands the range of the Aegis systems.

Of the successful test, former MDA director Lt. Gen. Sam Greaves said, “FTI-03 demonstrated the effectiveness of the EuropeanPhased Adaptive Approach Phase III architecture. It also showcased the significance of C2BMC to the future of integrated multi-domain missile defense operations.”

Photo courtesy of Lockheed Martin




Beyond Blue Force TrackingBlue Force Tracking (BFT) is a GPS-enabled trackingsystem that delivers vital capabilities to defence forces theworld over. Delivering situational awareness, BFT plays akey role in providing an overview of the battlefieldenvironment, differentiating between friendly and hostileforces, and enabling messaging between field units andthe command centre.

Photo courtesy of Pexels

Blue Force Tracking (BFT) has been on the scene for sometime now, having been developed by Northrop Grumman in the1990s to deliver situational awareness capabilities that couldonly be dreamed of in decades past. The GPS-enabled systemprovides military commanders with a wealth of information,including locational data on blue (friendly) and red (hostile) forcesin the field.

BFT systems feature a computer, satellite terminal, satelliteantenna, GPS receiver, command and control software, andmapping software. With advanced mapping capabilities, thelocations of blue and red forces alike can be monitored, inaddition to more complex environmental features such asobstacle tracking and route planning tools with proximitywarnings. Newer systems also provide messaging capabilities,with both text and imagery.

Almost every air and ground vehicle in the US Army today,as well as many allied forces, utilises Blue Force Tracker-1 (BFT-1) and/or Blue Force Tracker-2 (BFT-2). While the two iterationsare separate and operate over their own dedicated channel,they fulfil the same function. BFT-1, however, suffers from severelimitations, including communications delays of up to fiveminutes, which can be particularly problematic in the battlefield.The system also fails to penetrate inside of buildings.

The answer came a few years back in the form of BFT-2,which was launched by Viasat to provide faster position, location,information (PLI) refresh rates, as well as greater data throughputcapabilities. Around 10 times faster than BFT-1, BFT-2 offersalmost real-time accuracy with 99.95 percent network availability.

Ground vehicular and aviation transceivers operate over groundstation equipment installed at L-band satellite provider sites,which are controlled by satellite network operation centres(NOCs). The ground vehicular transceiver is a single LineReplaceable Unit (LRU), while the aviation transceiver is a two-LRU design that separates the antenna and RF assembly fromthe modem assembly to offer better aerodynamic performance.Both transceivers have successfully completed MIL-STD-461,464, and 810 testing.

Comtech Telecommunications awarded multiple BFTcontractsComtech Telecommunications Corp. is a major supplier of BFTsystems and equipment, particularly for US defence forces.Comtech currently provides sustaining support for the BFT-1system and has shipped more than 100,000 BFT-1 mobilesatellite transceivers.

Back in February 2018, Comtech Telecommunications wasawarded an initial US$11.7 million order to immediately provideseveral thousand of its next generation MT-2025 Mobile SatelliteTransceivers in support of the US Army’s BFT-2 system. TheBFT-2 system, which is part of the US Army’s Joint BattleCommand-Platform (JBC-P) program, provides global real-timesituational awareness and networking capabilities for USwarfighters.

The order was received pursuant to a firm fixed price contractfrom ADS, Inc. Manufacturing production will occur at Comtech’shigh-volume technology manufacturing centre in Tempe, Arizona.Comtech began shipments in the second half of its 2018 fiscalyear, and additional orders are expected going forwards.Comtech’s next generation MT-2025 transceiver, also knownas the BFT-2 High Capacity (BFT-2-HC) Satellite Transceiver,meets BFT-2 protocols, provides best-in-class reliability and isfully backward compatible with the US Army’s BFT-1 system.

“I am delighted that the US Army has chosen us to meettheir immediate operational needs. The Army has Comtech’sfull commitment in supporting both the BFT-1 and BFT-2requirements. I look forward to delivering this initial and other





orders well into the future,” said Fred Kornberg, President andChief Executive Officer of Comtech Telecommunications Corp.

Later in July, Comtech Telecommunications was awardedoption period one of a contract to support the BFT-1 programme.The option has an overall potential value of approximatelyUS$8.0 million. Including this order, to-date funding in the overallamount of US$5.9 million has been received. The overall fundedvalue of the contract inclusive of the Base and Option Year 1 isapproximately US$13.5 million.

These contract modifications are part of the five-year BFT-1sustainment support contract for the US Army’s Project ManagerMission Command (PM MC) BFT-1 program. Comtech continuesto perform engineering services, satellite network operationsand program management through a Firm Fixed Price (FFP)contract with Time & Materials (T&M) and Cost Reimbursementelements. The option period one performance period began inApril 2018 and ends in April 2019, and the contract provides forthree additional twelve-month option periods, exercisable byGSA.

“We are pleased that our Army customer continues to

recognize the value of Comtech’s services,” said Fred Kornberg,President and Chief Executive Officer of ComtechTelecommunications Corp. “Comtech remains committed toproviding the Army and its soldiers with the highest level ofsupport to enable them to complete their missions.”

Meanwhile, October saw Comtech announce the successfuldemonstration of the first leg of Comtech Mobile DatacomCorporation’s Blue Force Tracking 2 High Capacity (BFT-2 HC)multimode solution. This new multimode solution demonstratedthat its BFT-2 HC mobile satellite transceivers can provide foralternative communication paths to improve resiliency andcommunications. The demonstration showed the exchange ofBFT data between both JBC-P and Joint Capabilities Release(JCR) and Comtech’s BFT-2 HC mobile satellite transceivers,operating over a geostationary satellite, and a dismountapplication, operating over a low Earth orbit (LEO) satelliteconstellation. The data exchange included position informationas well as a variety of Command and Control (C2) messagetypes.

“I believe integrating both geostationary satellites and low

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Earth orbit satellites into our BFT network, greatly improves bothnetwork resiliency and geographical coverage as well as offersreduced operating costs. Comtech is committed to continuingto evolve our BFT capabilities in order to deliver cutting edgesolutions to address emerging threats,” said Kornberg.

Onwards and upwards: JBC-P activities ramped upWhile BFT-1 and BFT-2 undeniably deliver as of yet unsurpassedcapabilities for soldiers in the field and commanders at basestations, and continue to be financially and technically supported,some defence forces are already focused on the next big thingfor battlefield technologies.

Back in February 2018, Global Military Communicationsreported that US Defence forces were ramping up their JointBattle Command Platform (JBC-P) programme, which wasdesigned to provide military leaders greater command, controland situational awareness than ever before. The joint nature ofthe JBC-P enables greater cooperation between the US Armyand US Marine Corps. With both forces using the same software,the Army’s NOC can oversee all BFT operations and enablegreater cooperation between the two forces, enhancing bothoperational and cost efficiencies.

According to reports, JBC-P delivers faster satellitecommunications using BFT-2, which utilizes Inmarsat’s I-4satellite constellation to gain much more bandwidth with higherdata rates (up to 120kb on the forward link and up to 3kb on thereturn link), drawn from new transceivers. JBC-P is alsointegrated with the Tactical Intelligence Ground Reporting (TIGR)system, which provides historical intelligence data, includingarea structures, obstacles and previous incidents for a givensite.

JCB-P was initially slated for full roll-out by 2026, but the USArmy is ramping up fielding in the face of high demand for theimproved systems. In August 2017, it was announced that JCB-P and the US Army’s new standardized tactical computer, theMounted Family of Computing System (MFoCS), will be rolledout to all Reserve and National Guard units by 2024.

Initially, the US had planned to save money by fielding legacyhardware, JV-5, to 60 percent of units, and the newer system,MFoCS, to the remaining 40 percent of units. However, the olderhardware was eventually ruled out in order to reduce softwareand hardware baselines, improve cyber protection, and reducecosts by eliminating sustainment of older systems. MFoCS isavailable in a variety of forms, including a detachable tablet anda vehicle-mounted workstation. The US Army plans tohave 98,000 MFoCS systems in the field by 2024. In order tomeet the new reduced timeframe, PM MC is increasing the sizeof its training and fielding teams and ramping up vehiclehardware and software platform procurement.

Later in February 2018, the US Army confirmed plans tosignificantly increase spending on its JBC-P during a briefingat the Pentagon. The Army requested to increase its budgetfrom US$283 million to US$431 million for the 2019 fiscal budget,to support plants to procure 26,355 systems, up from 16,552systems in the 2018 fiscal budget.

Leonardo DRS supports JBC-P rolloutIn June 2018, Leonardo DRS, Inc. was awarded an IndefiniteDelivery/Indefinite Quantity contract worth up to US$841.3million to produce the next generation of US Army missioncommand computing systems, MFoCS II.

The MFoCS II systems will support the continued fieldingand upgrades of the Army’s JBC-P programme, and featurescritical system capability upgrades, cybersecurity improvementsand multi-touch displays. There are also significant performanceimprovements of the platform computing server as the Armycontinues to improve the JCB-P systems used for global BFTand In-Transit Visibility logistics tracking.

“We are very proud to have been selected, once again, tocontinue delivering MFoCS systems to the US Army’s PMMission Command. As the service embarks on accelerated

modernization efforts, we know that our proven platform-basedcapabilities serve as a critical enabler of Army Mission Commandand the Army Network,” said Jerry Hathaway, Vice Presidentand General Manager of the DRS Land Electronics business.“MFoCS II was designed to meet the demanding requirementsof mission-critical reliability in the most demanding environmentscombined with robust security enhancements to ensure trustedperformance today and into the future.”

The five-year contract, with options for additional years, willsee components of the first generation MFoCS platform retained,including the expandable rugged platform computer and 12, 15and 17-inch sunlight-readable rugged displays. Enhancedprocessing capabilities will enable Mounted Common OperatingEnvironment capability convergence as the vehicle networkintegrates multiple sensor inputs, internal and externalcommunications and multiple current and future softwareapplications. Under the MFoCS II contract, Leonardo DRS willprovide dismountable tablets, processor units, docking stations,keyboard units, interconnecting cables, and multiple sizes ofruggedized sunlight-readable multi-touch-screen display units. Indeed, MFoCS II provides a common family of interoperablenetwork computing and touch-screen display products designedto provide cost-effective commercial off-the-shelf technology withthe mission-critical reliability needed to enable platform-centrictactical mission command. GMC





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Supportinggovernment withcommercial solutionsHughes prides itself on being the global leader in broadband satellitetechnologies, services, and managed network solutions. The company’sDefense and Intelligence Systems Division has long served thegovernment and military sectors, delivering secure and reliable servicesin an increasingly contested and congested space. Rick Lober, VicePresident of Defense and Intelligence Systems Division at HughesNetwork Systems, LLC, opines on the latest developments in commercial,government and military satellite communications solutions, and thepotential for cross-over among them.Rick Lober, Vice President of

Defense and Intelligence SystemsDivision at Hughes NetworkSystems, LLC

GMCQ&A

Photo courtesy of Hughes

Question: The government and military sectors are both complex marketsto serve, with very specific demands. What are the unique challenges inserving these markets, and how does Hughes meet this demand?Rick Lober: Commercial industry moves pretty quickly, and government tendsnot to move quite as fast, so we’re working hard to make sure that governmentcustomers, including MoD and DoD, stay up to date with the latest incommunications technologies. We need to demonstrate the many advantagesof adapting and deploying advanced commercial satcom systems and solutions.

For example, one of the biggest ongoing challenges is resiliency. In the past,our adversaries in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere in the region, were not verysophisticated when it came to communications technology, and jamminginstances remained low. The reality now is that if the US or its allies get into amilitary conflict with a near-peer adversary, we should expect to see our systemsget jammed and face serious operational threats and disruption. What we callresiliency is all about having a system that can hold up to these modern threats.

Question: There’s a lot of change in the commercial satellite sector rightnow, with new technologies being rolled out across the board. Which ofthese do you feel will have a positive role in supporting the military andgovernment spheres?Rick Lober: The government has always used commercial satellite bandwidthto supplement their purpose-built satellites or pure military satellites. Governmentleaders are now pushing to move to the managed services model, in which atrusted industry partner manages the network, saving costs by reducing dedicated




Hughes HeloSat solution. Photo courtesy of Hughes Network Systems

manpower, while improving reliability, efficiency, and mostimportantly, staying ahead of technology developments beforeour adversaries.

Many significant changes are afoot right now in satellite andspace in general. Commercial satellite operators globally aremoving to high throughput satellites (HTS), which utilise spotbeam technology to concentrate power and capacity over adefined region to support operations on the ground. And we areseeing the early rollout of non-geostationary satellites (NGSO),starting with low Earth orbit (LEO) constellations. Hughes isworking very closely as a partner and supplier of the groundnetwork for OneWeb, one of the leaders in this emergingsegment. It’s going to be a real game-changer for governmentapplications because it will allow for polar coverage and reducedlatency, as orbits are in the 1,000km range, 40 times closerthan GEOs. These LEO constellations will also help increaseresiliency because each satellite’s coverage beam has inherentproperties that resist jamming and there are hundreds in orbitsimultaneously, making it difficult to disrupt an entire fleet.

Another area we’re advancing is network interoperability. Theidea is to open up some of the interfaces in the system, fromthe modem to the antenna, for example, or from the modem tothe network operations centre, such that we can use best ofbreed equipment, different technologies from different suppliers,thereby raising the competitive bar and yielding higherperformance and more secure solutions.

We also need to work on interoperability standards betweenthe government and commercial networks, moving past justgeneral under- standings. For example, you can talk to someoneon a Voice over IP (VoIP) network or a terrestrial phone networkusing your cell phone, and it all interconnects at higher networklayers. However, there’s some interface definition that could beadded to military SATCOM systems to help that interoperabilityalong.

There have also been vast improvements made in networkmanagement techniques. Probably the ‘lowest hanging fruit’ forthe government to improve on its networks is to apply commercialnetwork management techniques and best practices. Hughes




Photo courtesy of Hughes

runs one of the largest networks in the world, and we’re runningfive generations of GEO satellite technology plus terrestrialwireline and wireless technology, and soon we’ll be folding LEOsinto the mix. We do all of this in one network operations centreusing commercial tools and software we’ve developed over theyears. Unfortunately, the government still plans a lot of theirnetwork usage using a fairly manual process. It can take daysto make a bandwidth assignment, instead of the seconds it takeson a normal commercial network.

These are some of the things we feel we can bring togovernment networks to help improve reliability and efficiency.

Question: How will governments incorporate LEOconstellations into their operations in the future?Rick Lober: I think that over time, as the terminals becomemore developed, we’ll see LEO satellites become well-utilisedwithin the government and military areas. With the full coverageand latency savings these systems will bring to the table,governments will benefit from faster response times, built-inresiliency, and if there are 600-800 LEO satellites in orbit, if onesatellite goes down, the next is only a couple of minutes away.

It’s going to be the terminal development that will be key. Ithink one of the technologies that the terminals will require iselectronically steered arrays (ESAs). Compared withmechanically-pointed antennas, these new ESA systems willenable the LEO constellations to reach their potential.

This ‘shielding effect’ (where LEO satellites eclipse signalsbeing transmitted between GEOs and the Earth) that somepeople are talking about will not be a problem. It’s part of thelicencing process that’s currently underway. LEO operators areworking very closely with GEO operators and regulators to GMC

ensure that there are no interference problems. The shieldingproblem was considered very early on, and it is being addressed.

Question: What are your expectations for the military andgovernment markets going forwards, and what is Hughesworking on in these areas?Rick Lober: Commercially, we’re seeing strong demand in ourconsumer and enterprise networks; there’s more and moredemand for higher speed connections and bandwidth. We seethe government having the same issues. There’s an insatiabledemand for bandwidth and they’re not going to be able to fulfilrequirements on their own without commercial industry workingclosely with them to meet their goals.

In supporting military customers, we have a significant focuson airborne ISR. Hughes was selected by General Atomics towork on their next-generation Predator UAV under a programmefor the UK MoD, which will operate on the Skynet 5 X-bandsatellite that the MoD uses. We’re also looking at other platforms,such as Class 3 UAVs, and we’ve developed advanced solutionsfor beyond line of sight rotary wing communications, with theantenna mounted on the fuselage and enabling reliabletransmissions through the blades.

An exciting area we’re working on is helping the DoD utilizethe best of commercial satellite communications by improvinginteroperability. For example, we’ve developed a flexible modeminterface and are working on pilot programmes with the USAFto prove out the interoperability technology. Finally, we feel thatour 30-plus years in managing global networks using multiplegenerations of satellite and terrestrial technology can be appliedto military networks and will result in improved efficiency andcost savings.




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Cloud-based connectivity critical todeterring future threatsConnectivity is key in government and military spheres,and while technologies have come on in leaps in boundsin recent years, it’s the commercial field that has seen themost benefit. Aspects of new consumer communicationstechnologies have a significant role to play in militarycircles, however, as outlined by Ken Peterman, Presidentof Government Systems at Viasat.

Photo courtesy of Viasat

Secure, assured and ubiquitous communication is integralto every military operation across today’s battlespace. It’s criticalthat the right information is delivered accurately, securely andin a way that cannot be disrupted or exploited by enemy forces.

The UK Chief of Defence Staff, General Sir Nick Carter,emphasised at RUSI on 11 December 2018 that potentialenemies had invested in a range of new methods and capabilitiesdesigned to exploit what they see as our weaknesses. The rangeof threats now faced by UK means that we must recreate theinnovation and ingenuity seen in wartime to succeed againstcyber and electronic attack, space and counter-space weaponsand low-yield nuclear weapons. Specialists, particularly thosein the information sphere, will be in high demand.

Success needs smart technology, but more than thatUK military forces, along with the rest of UK Government, arefacing budget cuts. The UK is facing defence budget shortfallsover the next decade of up to £20 billion, but their malign impacthas been reduced by modest uplifts in key areas. In a particularlypositive move, the Modernising Defence Programmes initiative,still to be published in full, is expected to place a refreshingemphasis on three key positive approaches to change: emphasison speed of acquisition, a willingness to consider approacheswhich put modest capability into the hands of users and learnfrom doing this, and finally, an emphasis on new and innovativecontracting methods, without which the advantages of smarttechnology will not be exploited in full.

We are already seeing the benefits of this type of approachin the US (notably the Airborne and SOF communities) and insome parts of the UK Defence establishment. In these areas,thoughtful and innovative soldiers work closely with commercialengineers to embrace exciting new technologies and then bytheir own operational knowledge and innovative skill, extendthe use of these systems beyond the visions of their inventors.

Productive impatience is growing in UKAll this has given great encouragement to the more impatientand innovative leaders in the Ministry of Defence (MOD) HQ,the three services and in the defence industry. The UK now hasan opportunity to increase collaboration with private sectorleaders to equip our forces with some of the most advancedcommunications and battle management capabilities everdeveloped, all this at a significantly lower cost to the end userand with no loss of integrity or security.

This approach makes best use of the commercial sector,which has benefited from accelerated technological advancesin recent years. Perhaps the best examples of this dynamism

are the development of the smartphone and of in-flight satellitebroadband and near-ubiquitous connectivity. Whilst growingprogressively more sophisticated, the smartphone has continuedto introduce easy to use cloud-based capabilities at a low cost.Some of these cloud-based applications, such as interactivemaps, live HD video streaming and location sharing services,provide civilian users with more situational awareness thantoday’s UK warfighter receives from standard militarycommissioned equipment.

We have the ability to bring the same cloud-enabled civiliantechnologies to life for military forces rapidly, securely andeffectively and to stay ahead of evolving threats. Key people inthe UK defence community now see this and are determined tochange the acquisition model to achieve it. The forces of reactionhave not given up but are considerably weakened not only bythe obvious capability and cost benefits of this approach, but bythe clear example of the success of the commercial mobile ITmodel.

It is encouraging that the old perception that ‘bespoke isbetter’ is now increasingly seen as leading defence systems

Ken Peterman, President of Government Systemsat Viasat





Photo courtesy of Viasat

down a blind and expensive alley. This fact is increasingly clearto the more perceptive UK defence leaders, who spend a gooddeal of time studying the achievements of the more dynamicelements of the US military with Commercial Off the Shelf(COTS) and Kinda Off the Shelf (KOTS) technology. They arenot slow to talk to the commercial firms that make this possible.

Another benefit is that the use of commercial systems soldand upgraded across the Western world helps to make Westerncoalition interoperability a default condition.

Emerging technologiesThe traditional procurement process of tweaking every bespokepiece of equipment can take up to 7-10 years. This procurementmodel never really worked well but no-one saw how to escapeit. The path is now clear. The rapid pace of private sectorinnovation, reduces cost, improves resilience, improvescollaboration with leaders in the commercial sector, enablesgreater security tailored to the needs of the operation and speedsup the upgrade cycle to near commercial rates.

For example, today’s commercial high-speed, secure globalsatellite communications (SATCOM) networks, like Viasat’sHybrid Adaptive Network concept, present the UK military andits allies with an opportunity to access new and emerging cloud-based capabilities that will improve tactical communications andredefine the nature of modern warfare. As shown by Viasat at2018’s Association of the United States Army conference, thesecloud-based connectivity solutions are available today; and withnear-peer adversaries also pursuing similar emergingtechnologies, it will be critical for the MoD and its allies to movequickly to deliver cloud-based solutions in order to maintaintactical edge needed to deter these future threats.

Pulling technology, operations and contracts togetherThese advantages are now, ours to embrace, and it is hearteningto see that at a high level the UK Government as a whole andthe UK MoD in particular are both encouraging those dynamicindividuals, previously seen as maverick, to be heard. This givesthem the top-cover to encourage the use of systems thatembrace the latest battle-winning technology, ensure that it istailored to specific operational needs and use innovativecontracting methods that enable them to upgrade it easily andfrequently.

With progress at this rate, it will not be long before a brigadein contact with the enemy will have as much network connectivityas a teenager’s bedroom. GMC




Endpoint securityis key to defensedepartmentcybersecurity

Chris Townsend, Vice President of Federal atSymantec

Imagine the scenario: US troops are on reconnaissance inhostile territory. They’re trying to share critical information withheadquarters over mobile devices; data is integral to the mission,but communications are risky. Equipment must be durable andlightweight, limiting their technology options, while connectivityin general is degraded due to the lack of infrastructure and roughterrain. They’re at the proverbial tip of the spear – the farthestpoint from the safe haven of traditional network security. Enemyforces create malware that breaches the security and goesundetected for days, giving up valuable US intelligence, as wellas the location of troops.

The scenario is hypothetical, but very much in the realm ofpossibility and a constant threat for deployed forces. The USDepartment of Defense (DOD) has perhaps the most complexand dispersed cybersecurity framework in the world with millionsof endpoints scattered across the globe. Communicating at theendpoint is no longer an added benefit, but a necessity. As theDOD moves forward with its Joint Enterprise Defense Initiativeto expand cloud computing and increasingly pushcommunications to the tactical edge, personnel must beconfident that information is secure out to every endpoint.

In fact, Symantec’s annual Internet Security Threat Report(ISTR) found that in 2018, one in every 36 mobile devices used

Cybersecurity is becoming an increasingly pressingconcern for defence forces the world over. Cyber-attacksgrow ever more sophisticated and require less skill thanever to dish out. Chris Townsend, Vice President of Federalat Symantec, outlines why endpoint security is key tocybersecurity, and the implications for global defencegroups.

high-risk applications. The company blocked an average of10,500 malicious mobile apps per day. Also, the use of malwareby cybercriminals rose 25 percent. About 20 percent of malwareattacks came from VM-aware, or virtual machine attacks, whichcan be tough to spot. Although these numbers are not specificto the DOD, the ISTR provides a global view into the threatenvironment facing all organizations. The DOD, with its criticalmission, is at the forefront of the battle.

Using an EDR approachAdvanced Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) systemscan be a significant deterrent against the scenario painted above,as well as for the protection of endpoints in CONUSenvironments. EDR capabilities enable agencies to find andattack VM-aware by using advanced artificial intelligence tomimic human behaviour.

Defense Department leaders have wisely begun integratingEDR into cybersecurity planning and requirements. Thedepartment has created an Endpoint Security Solutions programwith an operational working group and included EDR inguidelines and policy discussions. Navy Rear Adm. KathleenCreighton, Deputy Commander of Joint Force Headquarters –DoD Information Network, has said endpoint security is a prioritydepartment wide for its ability to protect endpoints efficiently.

Speaking at the Defense Information Systems Agency’sthree-day Endpoint Security Summit in February 2019, Creightonsaid, “We have to get beyond ‘we have to do it our way.’ We haveto get to a common way – a common set of standards so thatwe can secure the entirety of the DODIN.”

Why EDR is effectiveWorking from an integrated defense platform, EDR automaticallydetects and acts on anomalies, reducing the time that they areactive. By recording and storing endpoint activity in real-time,EDR uses data analytics with advanced machine learning andbehavioural analysis to detect suspicious behavior. It then rapidlyblocks malicious activity and quarantines it in the endpointsbefore it can move laterally across the enterprise. Remediationis built into the system, creating denial of service as soon as





attacks are detected. In the above reconnaissance scenario,an attempted hack into a soldier’s digital device would be pushedout before data is compromised.

Not only are breaches detected, but they’re also prioritizedfor action. This type of system automatically identifies andcreates reports for suspicious activity, whether they are in a file,or show up as part of memory-based attacks. The systemimproves reporting by providing remediation and contextualinformation attack lifecycle gaps. It also highlights security risksto prevent future attacks.

Improving security and operationsThe DOD must pursue an endpoint strategy to effectively combatits adversaries, as Rear Adm. Kathleen Creighton indicted earlierthis year. By adopting an advanced EDR system, the DOD willrealize the following benefits across the enterprise:

• Increased investigator productivity by prioritizing incidentsby risk.

• Automatically generated incidents for targeted attacks.• Creation of recordings to allow for endpoint analysis.• Support for continuous and on-demand retrieval for a range

of events, including session, process, module load pointmodifications, file and folder operations, registry changesand network connection activity.

• Detection of common, but difficult-to-find VM-aware malwarewith advanced techniques that include mimicking humanbehavior and, if necessary, using physical servers fordetonation.

• Using artificial intelligence algorithms and advanced machinelearning to automatically adapt to new attack techniques.

• Using analytics to create real-time incidents with detailedanalysis of the attacker, techniques, impacted machines andremediation guidance – streamed to the EDR console.

• Simplification of the hunt for attackers from within theenvironment by giving an across-the-board view of software,memory, user and network baseline activity. When attackshappen, they are viewed as an anomaly.

• Using filters to make it easy to narrow results for lifecycle

phases whether at initial access, lateral movement orcommand and control.

• Providing rapid and complete endpoint repair from a singleconsole.

• Covering on-premises data, but also leveraging a cloud-based portal for analytics and automation.

ConclusionThe ability to detect threats in real-time is a game changer incybersecurity. Consider that among the companies surveyed inthe 2018 Cost of a Data Breach Study: Global Overview fromIBM Security and Ponemon Institute, the mean time it tookcompanies to identify a breach was 197 days. The average costof a breach was US$3.86 million.

National security, of course, can’t be measured in dollarsalone. There is no way to capture the true cost of losing sensitiveor classified information or exposing the location of US troopsto the enemy.

The key to EDR is its ability to rapidly fix endpoints by deletingmalicious files and associated artifacts, and to respond quickly.The system ensures the breach doesn’t return by creatingblacklists and whitelists at the endpoint. Enhanced reportingallows any table to be exported for incident resolution reports.

Like the best cybersecurity programs, EDR works from anintegrated system. It orchestrates data and workflows byintegrating incident data and actions into existing securityoperations centre infrastructure and enhances visibility withautomated artifact detection.

There are many technical solutions available to the DOD.Using an EDR approach to protect cyber endpoints should beat the top of the priority list. GMC

Photo courtesy of Symantec

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How communications can support(and hinder) operations on themobile battlefieldCommunications have played an irreplaceable role on thebattlefield for all of time, and as technology has advanced,so too have communications capabilities. Satellite nowoffers more communications assuredness than ever beforein tough situations. Kelly Nicklin, Vice President Sales andMarketing at XTAR expands on how X-band satellitecommunications can assist the warfighter in the field.

Photo courtesy of XTAR

Before the telegraph was widely used, signal officers in theUS Civil War carried with them a variety of flags, staffs, torches,matches, pliers, shears, a funnel and one-half gallon offlammable liquid. While everything was rolled together to strapto the soldier’s back for portability, when it was time to send amessage, it did take considerable setup and assembly.

Once ready to transmit, the signal officer had to positionhimself away from obstacles such as tents or dust, even tyinghimself up in a tree, if necessary, to get the signal through.

Technology has come a long way since our officer from the1800s, trying to send his message while strapped to a tree. Yetto be successful in battle, the military still requires every one ofits components to be highly mobile and communications are noexception.

For communications to effectively support the mobilemission, there are three main requirements: 1) communicationsmust be easily portable 2) communications should worksmoothly with minimal disruptions and 3) the signal must getthrough, no matter what.

This article will explore best practices in the field of satellite

communications, supporting these requirements and ensuringthat communications stay strong and support the mission,especially on the mobile battlefield.

Communications must be portableThe first and most obvious requirement for the mobile battlefieldis portability. Satellite communications today must supportbandwidth-heavy applications such as high definition video, butin mobile situations, they must do so many times by using smaller(sub-meter) antennas and highly portable equipment.

To achieve the data rates for more than a short voice chat,GEO satellites have become an invaluable resource for thesoldier. In particular, X-band frequency can support throughputneeds from low to high. The antennas which support thesesatellites are constantly becoming more technically advanced,pushing SWaP (size, weight and power) to the limits of physics.No longer is there an expectation of hours to set up acommunications system. The expectation now has become in30 minutes or less. Representatives from the US Army havequoted the mantra of “move, shoot and communicate in 30-minute increments” which drive home the need for portability.

Satellite communications must work with minimaldisruptions to the missionOn the mobile battlefield, both speed and ease ofcommunications are required to fully support the mission.Disruptions caused by communication issues are costly tooperations in terms of safety, effectiveness and of course,financially.

While our user may initially be using military satellitecommunications (MILSATCOM) they require a backup in case




MILSATCOM is not available. Often, this takes the form ofcommercial satellite communications (COMSATCOM). If forsome reason MILSATCOM is unavailable, the ability to quicklyand seamlessly switch to COMSATCOM is vital. Currently,leasing commercially available military-only frequencies suchas X-band is a seamless option to ensure this interoperablecontinuation of service.

While this is true in other operations, it is especially so inmobile situations. A user that needs to switch frequencies inorder to continue the mission, requires additional equipment topurchase and carry, plus that user must know how to use theequipment. Using commercially-available military frequenciesallow users to simply repoint and continue the mission withminimal disruption, using the X-band frequency they alreadyknow.

Another important consideration for user mobility is potentialconstraints caused by beam size. While high throughputsatellites (HTS) may be gaining a lot of attention, their beamsare small, typically a few hundred miles wide, therefore, theuser in a mobile situation is likely to have to transfer betweenbeams. This requires specialized equipment to facilitate beamswitching as well as the leasing of bandwidth in more than onearea. Both workarounds cost the mission in terms of time andmoney. X-band spot beams on the other hand, are typically about1,000 miles wide, which means operations are normallyencapsulated with one beam.

Satellite communications must work consistentlyFinally, and perhaps most importantly, satellite communicationsmust work, with a strong and effective signal throughout themission. In situations where there is only one chance to get

things right, a communications system should not be a hindranceto your overall mission.

Adjacent satellite interference is an issue experienced bymany commercial frequency bands. Military frequency satellitesare spaced 4 degrees apart versus approximately 2 degrees ofseparation between other frequency bands. Due to thisincreased spacing, satellite solutions often require less spacesegment and incur less frequent interference than non-militaryfrequencies.

As our US Civil War Signals Officer most likely found,challenging weather can also pose a threat to communicationson the mobile battlefield. But even today, dust storms, rain andhumidity can easily knock out commercial communications whichoperate at frequencies higher than 10GHz, making themsusceptible to atmospheric attenuation. X-band’s position onthe spectrum makes it virtually weatherproof so that weatherneed not be an issue either for current or expected conditions.

ConclusionIn the civilian world, we all want to do more on the move via our cellphones and laptops - it’s nice to have constant communicationswherever we are. Our soldiers are required to have communicationswork effectively while on the move, to complete their mission safelyand effectively. When it comes to satellite communications on thebattlefield, there is no question that portability, ease of use andreliance of signal must all occur to allow the user to maximize theirmission. X-band has been and continues to be a valuable resourcefor military use, both from MILSATCOM and COMSATCOMsatellites around the globe. Now, more than ever, SATCOM as amobile resource to the warfighter must be provided to keep themsafe and effective. GMC

Photo courtesy of XTAR




Unmanned aerial systems (UASs) or unmanned aerialvehicles (UAVs) are powered aircraft that operate throughoutthe world’s airspace without a human pilot on board. Some UASshave a remote human operator situated somewhere on theground, while others operate autonomously using onboardcomputers. UASs can be recoverable or expendable, and, aswith unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs), are used for thethree Ds of missions within military fields, namely those toodull, dirty or dangerous for humans to partake in.

UASs were first envisaged in 1898 by Nikola Tesla, whopatented the idea for remotely operated vehicles (RPAs). Teslafully expected that UAS would ultimately end warfare: “For byreason of its certain and unlimited destructiveness it will tend tobring about and maintain permanent peace among nations.”Sadly, this has not come to pass - while UASs have changedlives for the better for millions, particularly with their applicationin times of disaster, UAS technology has also enabled defenceforces and rogue groups to more accurately attack each otherand nearby civilians.

Broadening horizonsWhen we think of UASs, most of us imagine the vehicles usedby the military; small spy drones used for surveillance andreconnaissance operations in dangerous areas, or largervehicles used to fire missiles down on the enemy without puttingan onboard pilot at risk.

However, today’s UASs are being utilised more and more innon-military environments; scientific, agricultural, satellite,

The developing UAS marketUnmanned aerial systems (UASs), more commonly referred to as drones, enable incredible applications in government,military and commercial spheres the world over. Over the years, defence forces have become somewhat reliant onUAS technology for surveillance and reconnaissance, mapping routes through enemy territories, interacting with hostileforces from safe and remote locations, and receiving vital, up-to-date information on adversary activities. The UASmarket is in a major state of change thanks to the growing impact of the commercial segment, which is training anentire new generation of engineers, and bringing down costs.

Photo courtesy of Schiebel

construction, Internet delivery, recreational, commercial,peacekeeping, photography, and even drone racing is all growingin popularity. Companies like Amazon are entertaining the

SkyRanger R80




possibility of delivering products by drone, insurance companiesare sending UASs to inspect damaged assets, particularly indifficult-to-access areas, and, incredibly, air taxis for commutersare also under discussion.

While some of these applications remain in the domain ofscience fiction, it’s nevertheless true that civilian UASs nowoutnumber military UASs significantly, with more than one millionunits reportedly sold to civilians in 2015. Consumer confidencein unmanned systems is growing; driverless trains are notuncommon throughout Europe, and driverless cars are alsoreally coming on technologically. It’s difficult to argue with theattraction of a taxi without a driver insistent on engaging inconversation with you.

This adoption of UAS technology by the commercial markethas resulted in some interesting consequences, particularly inenhancing the range of UAS expertise available. Whileconsumer-grades UAS are obviously unsuitable for militaryapplications, the increased rate of development means newtechnologies are being produced by commercial innovators, andan increasing number of engineers are becoming accustomedto designing, manufacturing and programming such devices.

Long-standing companies with decades of experience inthe design and production of military-grade UASs such asGeneral Atomics, Schiebel, Aeryon, Thales, Elbit Systems,Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Boeing and CASC are now beingjoined by commercial UAS manufacturers like DJI, Parrot,3DRobotics and Matrice, etc. However, with more than 300 UASmanufacturing start-ups launched since the year 2000, industryconsolidation among even successful newcomers is rife.

Growing market opportunitiesThe versatility delivered by today’s UASs means there is noshortage of demand across a variety of market segments. Onthe commercial side, the continuing popularity of social mediahas caused a boom in demand; the ability to capture 4K videofootage from a personal UAS is just one example of how thesesystems are being brought into day-to-day usage by privatecitizens. On the government side of things, UASs are provinginvaluable in disaster recovery efforts, while within defence forcecircles, UASs are ensuring reliable surveillance andreconnaissance, and communications, in even the most hostileenvironments.

At the start of 2018, NSR released its ‘Unmanned AircraftSystems (UAS) Satcom and Imaging Markets, 4th Edition report,’which has forecast a cumulative US$19.7 billion revenueopportunity for UAS satellite communications and US$4.3 billion

for commercial UAS imaging services in the 2016-2026 period.The growth is attributed to an accelerating government andmilitary UAS market, with increased adoption rates for unmanned

Orion UAS. Photo courtesy Aurora Flight Sciences

Orion UAS. Photo courtesy Aurora Flight Sciences

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systems globally.According to the report, the demand for intelligence,

surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), and combat capabilityis on the rise, due to global conflicts in the Middle East andAsia. Consequently, the 2016-2017 period notes a significantUAS supply increase from the US, China and Middle Easterncountries. NSR reports that this growth highlights the opportunityin satcom terminals and capacity services for both satelliteoperators and equipment manufacturers. The demand formedium altitude long endurance (MALE) airframes continuesto outshine other satcom enabled airframes, and NSR projectsmore than 8,000 satcom in-service units by 2026, with MALEsystems accounting for almost 75 percent of the market.

“The steady increase of US activity in Asia, as conflicts movetowards the South China Sea and North Korea, along with aglobal rise in drone-based warfare to reduce soldier casualties,give rise to a proliferation in Beyond-Line-Of-Sight (BLOS)satcom market for drones,” said Gagan Agrawal, NSR Analystand report author. ”These conflicts, along with a need forpeacekeeping, border patrols, and global humanitarian effortshave spawned a growing demand for high bandwidth video ISR.”He continued: “For smaller sized UAS, imaging is the primaryapplication in the commercial domain. This is fuelled by needsof the energy sector, industrial inspection, and surveying, wheremapping and analytics services via UAS, as compared to manual GMC

work, offer companies a 2-3x cost savings potential. As civilianregulations and VC-backed start-ups mature through 2018,businesses will look to solidify an enterprise-service orientedB2B model, paving the way for stability and wider recognitionfor this industry.”

In other news, according to an October 2018 report, ‘USDoD UAS Market, Forecast to 2023,’ combatant commandershave become increasingly reliant upon receiving 24/7 battlefieldsurveillance, and will continue to have ever-higher expectationsand demands from UASs, as adversaries become moretechnologically advanced. Funding for UAS is expected to growsteadily at a CAGR of 2.7 percent through to 2023, however,this value will easily exceed US$6 billion, accounting for onepercent of all military spending.

A bright futureThere’s no denying the usefulness of UASs, or other unmannedtechnologies on land and at sea. The financial opportunities inthe commercial sector are incredible, however, the military andgovernment sectors remain the most pressing for civilian safety.Fortunately, the advances made in the commercial sphere willenable rapid advancements in military applications as well, andunlike other technology areas, including satellitecommunications, this commercial interest should ensure thatthere’s no skills shortage in the years to come.

The MQ-1C ER version has a maximum endurance of 40 hours compared to 25 for the legacy Gray Eagle




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