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ISOtunes Sport Launches ADVANCE: Hearing Solution for Sport Shooters

Wednesday, April 14th, 2021

Carmel, IN – ISOtunes®, creator of some of the world’s most innovative outdoor hearing protection, recently announced it has officially entered the shooting sports market with ISOtunes Sport. Now ISOtunes is excited to announce one of the first products to come from its new Sport lineup, the ISOtunes Sport ADVANCE. Blending cutting-edge design with advanced protection, ISOtunes Sport ADVANCE is full of innovative features.

A tactical shooter’s dream, ISOtunes Sport ADVANCE is the first of its kind in-ear tactical hearing protection. The ADVANCE provides firearm enthusiasts a unique combination of protection and functionality. Environmental awareness, active gunshot noise reduction, Bluetooth connectivity, and a comfortable fit are just a few of the baseline features of the ADVANCE.

Thanks to features like Tactical Sound Control™ and SafeMax Technology™ the ISOtunes Sport ADVANCE does what no other sport hearing protection can do. The ADVANCE enhances your hearing by 8x while protecting you from high-impact noises in under 2 milliseconds. It has a noise-isolating microphone for clear communication in loud environments, provides up to 10 hours of Bluetooth connectivity on a single charge, and limits volume output to no more than 85dB for all-day, damage-free listening. ADVANCE’s innovative design allows it to weigh less than 24 grams and is completely dust, sweat, and waterproof with an IP67 durability rating. With an assortment of eartip options to guarantee shooters a comfortable fit, ADVANCE is an ideal hearing protection solution for shooters of all shapes, sizes, and activity levels.

The next generation of tactical hearing protection is here. Enjoy all-day safety, focus, and performance from the new ISOtunes Sport ADVANCE. For more information on the ADVANCE or any of ISOtunes’ other products, visit www.ISOtunesSport.com.

Posted in Comms, Press Release | Comments Off on ISOtunes Sport Launches ADVANCE: Hearing Solution for Sport Shooters

Machine Learning Shows Potential to Enhance Quantum Information Transfer

Friday, March 26th, 2021

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. – Army-funded researchers demonstrated a machine learning approach that corrects quantum information in systems composed of photons, improving the outlook for deploying quantum sensing and quantum communications technologies on the battlefield.

When photons are used as the carriers of quantum information to transmit data, that information is often distorted due to environment fluctuations destroying the fragile quantum states necessary to preserve it.

Researchers from Louisiana State University exploited a type of machine learning to correct for information distortion in quantum systems composed of photons. Published in Advanced Quantum Technologies, the team demonstrated that machine learning techniques using the self-learning and self-evolving features of artificial neural networks can help correct distorted information. This results outperformed traditional protocols that rely on conventional adaptive optics.

“We are still in the fairly early stages of understanding the potential for machine learning techniques to play a role in quantum information science,” said Dr. Sara Gamble, program manager at the Army Research Office, an element of U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command, known as DEVCOM, Army Research Laboratory. “The team’s result is an exciting step forward in developing this understanding, and it has the potential to ultimately enhance the Army’s sensing and communication capabilities on the battlefield.”

For this research, the team used a type of neural network to correct for distorted spatial modes of light at the single-photon level.

“The random phase distortion is one of the biggest challenges in using spatial modes of light in a wide variety of quantum technologies, such as quantum communication, quantum cryptography, and quantum sensing,” said Narayan Bhusal, doctoral candidate at LSU. “Our method is remarkably effective and time-efficient compared to conventional techniques. This is an exciting development for the future of free-space quantum technologies.”

According to the research team, this smart quantum technology demonstrates the possibility of encoding of multiple bits of information in a single photon in realistic communication protocols affected by atmospheric turbulence.

“Our technique has enormous implications for optical communication and quantum cryptography,” said Omar Magaña?Loaiza, assistant professor of physics at LSU. “We are now exploring paths to implement our machine learning scheme in the Louisiana Optical Network Initiative to make it smart, more secure, and quantum.”

Visit the laboratory’s Media Center to discover more Army science and technology stories.

By US Army DEVCOM Army Research Laboratory Public Affairs

Posted in Army, Comms, Digitization, Guest Post | 6 Comments »

USAF’s Agile Combat Employment Demonstration Leverages Persistent Systems MANET Technology

Friday, March 19th, 2021

Company’s mobile ad hoc network enables capabilities necessary to establish and operate small, rapidly deployable air bases in geographically dispersed areas, during conflict with near-peer power.

NEW YORK, N.Y. – Persistent Systems, LLC (“Persistent”) announced today that its Wave Relay® mobile ad hoc networking (MANET) technology successfully supported the U.S. Air Force’s demonstration of its Agile Combat Employment (ACE) concept.

ACE seeks to counter the threat near-peer powers like China and Russia pose to American force projection by shifting from large, established air bases to smaller, rapidly deployable, temporary airstrips manned by skeleton crews.

“Normally, you would have hundreds of people on a large Air Force base to support a squadron of fighter jets,” said Todd Grant, Persistent’s Director of Business Development for the Air Force and C4ISR. “With ACE, you get the same capability from a smaller, harder-to-target footprint that moves.”

To accomplish this, the U.S. Air Force requires a highly versatile and mobile command-and-control network that can tie together the core elements a combat wing required to plan missions, maintain jets, put them in the air, and defend the airstrip. An additional goal is to minimize the cost by leveraging existing Air Force assets, such as legacy radios, computer servers, and satellite terminals.

“That’s what we have shown with our Wave Relay® MANET during this recent demonstration,” said Adrien Robenhymer, Persistent’s VP for Business Development for Air Force, Intelligence Community, and Department of Energy Programs. “We connected geographically dispersed units at different military bases, providing users with direct communication, situational awareness, full motion video, and audio.”

The demonstration proved that the Air Force has the networking capability to support expeditionary air bases in an A2AD environment while saving hundreds of millions of dollars.

Persistent also demonstrated automated PACE (Primary, Alternate, Contingency, and Emergency) communications via satellite, internet, and 5G cellular, as well as by local area network for conditions when a beyond-line-of-sight capability is not available.

“In a world where technologies increasingly depend upon Cloud Computing availability, Persistent’s Base Defense and Missile Field Solutions can operate completely standalone when the Cloud is not available, enabling operation in a ‘CloudNONE’ scenario,” said Robenhymer.

But the implications of the ACE demonstration are even greater than that.

“The interoperability lessons that were learned here flow into the Advanced Battle Management System, the Air Force’s multi-billion-dollar effort to connect computers, sensors and shooters at machine-speed, in keeping with the U.S. Department of Defense’s vision of Joint All Domain Command and Control,” he said.

The next step, Persistent officials say, is to take the real-life capabilities shown with ACE and merge them with future Advanced Battle Management System work.

Posted in Air Force, Comms, Digitization, Press Release | 1 Comment »

RfPatrol and MPU5 Create Integrated Soldier System

Thursday, March 18th, 2021

DroneShield Ltd (ASX:DRO) (“DroneShield” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce the integration of its body-worn UAS passive detection device RfPatrol with the Persistent Systems MPU5 – the worlds most advanced, scalable, and efficient Mobile Ad Hoc Networking (MANET) soldier radio system. The MPU5 is offered in Australia by CISTECH Solutions, the premier Radio over IP and Network Services integrator.

Together, RfPatrol™ and the MPU5 offer a body-worn passive detection capability, with RfPatrol™ output via its Battle Management System securely relayed in real time to a central command point via the MPU5, for a common operating picture showing location of the dismounted forces carrying the RfPatrol devices, displaying UAS and other threat alerts in real time and locations.

Oleg Vornik, DroneShield’s CEO, commented, “This is world’s first capability of its kind, enabling a common operating picture of C-UAS and other improvised threat detection from dismounted units in the field. We are excited to partner with CISTECH Solutions and Persistent Systems to deliver this solution to our customers.”

Posted in Comms, Digitization, Press Release | Comments Off on RfPatrol and MPU5 Create Integrated Soldier System

DARPA Awards Silvus Up to $13.1M to Develop Distributed Beamforming Solution

Wednesday, March 17th, 2021

Under RN DMC Program, Silvus to Enable Resilient, Long-Range Comms Over Large Geographic Areas

Los Angeles, California (March 16, 2021) – Silvus Technologies, Inc. (“Silvus”) today announced the company has been awarded a contract worth up to $13.1 million as part of DARPA’s Resilient Networked Distributed Mosaic Communications (RN DMC) program. Under RN DMC, Silvus will develop a distributed beamforming/beamnulling solution to enable resilient, long-range terrestrial communications of up to 100km using multiple collaborative radios distributed over hundreds of meters.

RN DMC stems from DARPA’s investment in mosaic warfare, a concept in which large numbers of lower-cost systems, referred to as “tiles,” are deployed to perform complex mission functions in a coordinated fashion. By building a mosaic of inter-connected tiles, functions such as command and control, communications, and sensing can be performed with more resilience and higher performance.

Building on a proven track record of developing real-time solutions enabling distributed frequency and time synchronization, Silvus’ solution for RN DMC is dubbed Mosaic Scattered Wide-Area Resilient Network (MScWRN or M2N). M2N will enable spatially distributed beamforming and beamnulling with minimal communications required between tiles, resulting in mosaic clusters that are able to bridge large range gaps while seamlessly interoperating with the rest of a traditional Silvus mesh network.

“The reliability of long-range communications utilizing multiple radios distributed over large distances is a critical component in DARPA’s vision of mosaic warfare,” said Dr. Babak Daneshrad, Chief Executive Officer of Silvus. “The RN DMC program will enable the continued development of our M2N solution, and we look forward to demonstrating its matured operation.”

Note to readers:

Since 2018, DARPA has placed significant emphasis on the development of “Mosaic Warfare,” bringing together individual warfighting platforms to create a larger “force package.”

Under the Resilient Networked Distributed Mosaic Communications (RN DMC) program, Silvus will develop a beamforming/beamnulling solution that will enable reliable and resilient long range terrestrial communications utilizing multiple collaborative radios distributed over large distances – an integral component to DARPA’s vision for the future of Mosaic Warfare.

Posted in Comms, Disruptive Tech, Press Release | 3 Comments »

General Dynamics To Provide FAA With Radios For Backup Emergency Air Traffic Control Communications

Sunday, March 14th, 2021

General Dynamics awarded $99 million contract to provide new URC-300E transceivers to the FAA to replace legacy emergency backup radios

SCOTTSDALE, Arizona – The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has chosen General Dynamics Mission Systems to provide new URC-300E transceivers as part of their Emergency Transceiver Replacement (ETR) program. The eight-year, IDIQ contract has a value of $99 million if all options are exercised.

The URC-300E will replace current legacy radios and provide both Very High Frequency (VHF) and Ultra High Frequency (UHF) operation for civil and military air traffic control (ATC) communications in the event of a catastrophic failure, such as a facility fire or natural disaster. ATC controllers will use the URC-300E to maintain essential ground-to-air communications with aircraft during the critical moments after such an event. The new URC-300E transceiver is specifically designed to maximize radio frequency (RF) performance and enable users to operate multiple URC-300Es as close as 6.5 feet apart without interference – an unprecedented capability compared to currently available man-pack radios which can require up to 50 feet of separation. This close proximity capability enables rapid grab-and-go, multi-channel operations during emergency situations.

“For the past three decades General Dynamics has provided ground-to-air radio systems to the FAA including the recent delivery of the 20,000th CM-300/350 (V2) radio as part of the NEXCOM 2 program,” said Bill Ross, a vice president of General Dynamics Mission Systems. “The URC-300E is another example of our team’s dedication to delivering technologies and products that support the FAA’s efforts to continuously improve the National Airspace and safety of flight.”

The URC-300E, the FAA variant of the URC-300 transceiver, is a versatile, software-defined platform that supports multiple waveforms with exceptional radio frequency (RF) performance to support ground-to-air, line-of-sight and other mission critical applications. It is designed with a flexible, core architecture similar to a commercial smartphone that enables additional features and functions to be added in the field via quick and simple software upgrades, as they become available. This enhanced technology, coupled with the radio’s ability to operate on standard lithium ion batteries, essentially makes the radio “future proof”, resulting in significant time and life cycle cost savings.

The URC-300 is the first ruggedized man-pack radio to achieve compliance with global standards and certifications including Radio Equipment Directive (RED), REACH, RoHS, ETSI EN 300 676 compliance, and it readily supports worldwide 25 kHz and 8.33 kHz deployments. The radio is also currently being certified by the Federal Communications Commission for civilian use and is sponsored by the U.S. Air Force for the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) Spectrum authorization. In addition to supporting emergency grab-and-go scenarios, the URC-300 supports many other applications including man-pack, vehicular, scalable deployment and rackmount applications as it is ruggedized and meets MIL-STD-810 requirements and is interoperable with its predecessor, the URC-200 (V2) radio, and many of its accessories. General Dynamics began delivering URC-300 radio systems to commercial and DoD customers in Q4 2020.

For additional information on the URC-300, please visit gdmissionsystems.com/URC300.

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Fort Bragg Warfighter 21 – Universal Battery Charger Lite from Thales

Friday, March 12th, 2021

Compact (2.3” x 6” x 3.5”) and lightweight (1.4lbs), the Universal Battery Charger Lite offers two cable-free charging port for each of the following batteries: BB-2590, AN/PRC-148 or AN/PRC-152, CWB and USB devices. There is also a High Power Inductive pad for cell phones as well as two input DC ports. Additionally, it includes a 6.5W aux DC port compatible with the Dell laptop AC adapter.

The UBC-L allows power harvesting from one battery type to another as well as collection from solar panels and car batteries. Three batteries and two USB devices can be simultaneously charged. Typical battery charging is 2.5 hours.

Displays charging power, state of charge and state of health.

Units and agencies can procure Thales comminication gear by contacting Atlantic Diving Supply.

Posted in ADS, Advertiser, Comms, Power, Warrior Expo | 1 Comment »

Safariland Debuts New Liberator Single and Dual-Channel Communication Headsets

Thursday, March 4th, 2021

Safariland®, a brand of The Safariland Group, a leading global provider of safety products designed for the public safety, military, professional and outdoor markets, is excited to announce the next generation of Safariland Liberator® headset. The new Liberator® IV/V communications headsets are easily adaptable to mission-specific needs, reduce hazardous noise and allow for active single-channel or dual-channel communication.

“The new Liberator IV and V mark the pinnacle of Safariland’s comms development,” stated James Imhoff, VP & GM of Diversified Products at Safariland. “The Liberator IV is an advanced, single-channel headset system utilizing the newly designed TCI multi-mode Earcup. For those who need dual-channel functionality, we’ve updated the Liberator V. Law enforcement and military users alike can confidently utilize these robust products in any tactical situation. The Liberators provide the ultimate protection while enabling clear communication—both of which are crucial for maximal situational awareness.”

The Liberator IV is the first multi-mode, dual fuel single communications headset on the market. This single communications channel package is a 100% US designed and manufactured tactical headset. The Dual Fuel system allows the Liberator IV to run on two AAA or one CR123 battery. The headset offers operational modes for all high noise situations. The Liberator IV can protect against impulse noise, like gun fire, and steady state noise, like operating on a helicopter. It is the first headset with user audio profiles modifiable with simple keystrokes on the headset. MSRP $647-$857.

The Liberator V adds updated dual-channel communications to the Liberator platform. These are the ultimate dual channel circumaural headphones. This system gives military and law enforcement end users the confidence to utilize communications networks using mixed encryption in any tactical environment and are equipped with Safariland’s Radio Audio Channel Enhancement (R.A.C.E) technology that can play incoming audio in stereo and isolate simultaneous dual-channel feeds. R.A.C.E allows for natural replication of audio communication and clear channel delineation during overlaps. MSRP $695-$850.

FEATURES
• First of its kind Multi-Profile Tactical Headset: Active Noise Reduction (ANR), Active Noise Cancellation (ANC), and Dual Mode with ANR/ANC simultaneously.
• Backwards compatible with TCI single communications systems.
• Industry leading sound localization for maximum situational awareness and threat detection.
• Multiple single communications Push-to-Talk options available.
• Proprietary high-definition speakers and speaker enclosures.
• Advanced RF and TDMA PCB protection technology.
• Boom microphone featuring advanced RF and Acoustics Interference Shielding.
• Adaptive headset suspension can be easily changed with no tools between over-the-head, behind-the-head, or helmet rail mounted options.
• Proprietary, slim earcup design layered with sound barrier technology.
• The Liberator V adds R.4 dual communications Push-to-Talk available – compatible with R.A.C.E.

safariland.com

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