Science Application International Corporation (SAIC) has selected Rockwell Collins to supply a Sub-Net Relay (SNR) solution in support of the US Navy’s PEOC4I Battle Force Tactical Networking programme.
The Rockwell-designed SNR will enable US naval vessels to establish mobile ad-hoc, internet-protocol (IP) networks for tactical data exchanges, improved situational awareness and collaborative planning between navy warships and existing communications systems.
Bob Haag, Rockwell Collins’s communication and navigation products vice president and general manager, said: "This award to equip US Navy ships with SNR further solidifies SNR’s position as the IP networking system of choice for interoperability among joint and coalition naval forces by providing a common standard for collaborative planning and sharing of tactical information."
The fully distributed, self-configuring and self-organising IP networking technology features dynamic relay capabilities, built-in text chat, comprehensive signal display and a remote control graphic user interface.
While maintaining optimum system performance, the SNR system uses an intelligent relay mechanism to ensure each source has one active relay.
During several at-sea trials, the system also validated its automatic relay capability to deliver beyond line-of-sight communication.
The SNR technology uses HF/VHF/UHF radios, as well as data cryptographic equipment installed on ships to render tactical commanders a locally controlled data networking system.
Work will be carried out at Rockwell Collins facilities in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada and Cedar Rapids, Iowa, US.
The network-centric military communications equipment, SNR has also been designed and developed for the navies of Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the UK navies; it is likely to become a Nato standard for coalition navies’ network interoperability.
