iCSA Integrated Communications and Situational Awareness

The world we live in

• Governments need affordable state of the art solutions

• The current world demands a Military and First Responder service that is agile and flexible with real time data and communication

• Government departments

need interconnectivity

between the different

operational divisions

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Why the need for Interoperability and Resilience?

• Recent history says it all……

• 2016 - Brussels Terrorist attack • Disparate networks –Police, Army, Anti Terrorist Units, etc. • Disparate Command and Control • Emergency Services network congested and cellular network disabled

• CHAOS……

• 2016 - Paris Terrorist attack • Disparate networks –Police, Army, Anti Terrorist Units, etc. • Disparate Command and Control • Emergency Services network congested and cellular network disabled

• CHAOS……

• 2014 - Crimea • When Russia seized Crimea the hacked and blocked all mobile

phone operators in the Ukraine • No government agency was able to communicate

• CHAOS…….

Vulnerability of cellular networks

Facts & Figures How easy is it to hack a cellular network? November 24, 2015 Ilja Shatilin Featured Post, News, Security No comments It was last year when a new method of attack on cellular networks was discovered. It requires neither costly radio scanners nor PC powerhouses and is available to virtually anyone. Besides, carriers have no practical means of protecting against this type of attack. …………….However, the situation changed as soon as the procedure of processing SS7 commands over IP was introduced in 2000, essentially exposing the SS7 layer to outside access. The good news is: no, it’s not possible to connect to any carrier network from a random computer over the Internet. One would need a special device – a SS7 hub. The bad news about it is lax regulations on purchase of such network appliances. Some countries easily issue carrier licenses, which in turn, enable anyone to legitimately set up the hub and interconnect it to a transport node. This explains why the black market is overpopulated by illicit merchants offering ‘Connection-as-a-Service’ to such hubs. Source: https://blog.kaspersky.com/hacking-cellular-networks/10633/

Needs

• Integrated comms between operational groups

• Sustained comms across large/difficult terrain

• Location based data as well as operational data

• Consolidated view of all operations

• reliability, predictability, responsiveness, security

• Effective and efficient return on investment

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Challenges

• Radios have limited range in difficult terrain

• Radios have limited interoperation ability

• Data transmission as important as voice

• HF is complex to operate

• Need to retain investment in existing equipment and training

• What happens when TETRA is not available?

Quick overview IP protection - convoy

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Integrated Communications and

Situational Awareness

is the seamless unification of radio and IP communications between disparate networks and devices, across wide

areas of terrain (Beyond Line of Sight)

What is iCSA?

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• Firstly

We add some sophisticated hardware to integrate and cross-connect audio

• Secondly

We add intelligent software that can control and route these digital audio streams

• Thirdly

We add end-user applications that allow smartphones, tablets and computers to interact with the digital audio streams and radio networks

How does it work?

Network (UHF)

Network (TETRA)

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Typical disparate individual radio networks protection - convoy

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(Still) Disparate individual networks IP protection - convoy

• Extends and integrates disparate radio networks over a wide geographical area using IP as the transport layer

• Interfaces audio from any radio network to an IP infrastructure

• Supports any radio audio that has E&M capability

Radio Net A

E&M Analogue

Radio Net B

IP Connection

E&M Analogue UHF TETRA

Hardware What is radio relay?

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BGAN

TETRA Network

Internet 2G/3G/4G Private Wi-fi

LMR Channel

Mobile Communicators

Mobile Communicators

Server

Radio Relay

UHF Network

Radio Relay

Iridium PTT

Intelligent software IP protection - convoy

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Deployment case covert operations

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L-TAC Man-pack Antenna

Battery Pack

Helicopter AM Radio

Helicopter AM Radio

L-TAC Frequency Translator

Direct communication between helicopter and mobile deployed units enabled by remote communications vehicle

Deployment case covert operations – No IP

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Scout vehicle

Counter assault vehicle

BGAN

Deployment case VIP Protection - Convoy

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Vehicles can be equipped with surveillance equipment, number plate recognition applications

Deployment case IP applications | border control

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What do we use? IP protection - convoy

Radio Comms

Radio Comms with 3G/LTE support

Inmarsat E-enabled Communications

Inmarsat HTS E-Enabled Communications

Operational Cost

Op

era

tio

nal

Eff

ect

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ne

ss

E-enablement of operations

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• More dynamic talk-groups

• Greater integration

• Centralisation & standardisation

• Unified tactical communications

• Unified full office communications

• Situational awareness

• Tactical video and imagery

• Supported 24x7

• Encryption options

• More secure, efficient and lower cost operations

• Improved troop morale

• Minimal re-training

• Quicker response times

• Significantly expanded range

• Ability to cope with challenging terrain

• Connects land, sea and sky

Why iCSA? IP protection - convoy

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