Two helicopters fly deep into the operation area at dawn. The sun is just rising on the horizon when the commandos set down and gather in the target area. The operations center reports back on the radio with new information about enemy forces in the area of operations. In the past, it was necessary for the elite soldiers in the field to make a tactical radio stop and set up a special transmission medium in order to communicate with the operations center and exchange data. This time-consuming, planning-intensive and dangerous intermediate step for the deployed commandos has now become superfluous with the Bundeswehr Cyber Innovation Hub's "Radio Access Point (RAP)" innovation project, as Innovation Manager Andre Gotthardt explains: "With RAP, the Bundeswehr's special forces can now communicate with allied forces in the area of operations or with the operations center on the move, during a mission, in real time and in an IT-secured environment."
As the modern battlefield now generates an ever-increasing amount of data and modern communication takes place via IP services, the Bundeswehr is now also relying on digital data transmission in order to be able to generate better situational pictures. As part of the innovation project, an additional hardware component, the "Black" RAP, and a new server component were therefore provided for the PRC 117G radio, which has been in use for several years. The radio access point is coupled directly with the PRC 117G and enables the user to use any IP-based transmission medium to communicate with the radio devices in a cryptically secured environment. "However, the system also includes the systems already in use from radio and satellite systems, but also extends the option of being able to access the local LTE infrastructure in the area of operation," explains Andre Gotthardt.
A big hit for the special forces of the Bundeswehr
The introduction of the innovative project as a networked system is a major step forward for the Bundeswehr's special forces. The satellite communication previously used could be disrupted by enemy countermeasures, was very energy-intensive and required a setup that always had to be set up in advance by the commandos. "With our Radio Access Point innovation system, the Bundeswehr Special Forces Command now has a system in use that enables OTM-OTM communication," says Innovation Manager Andre Gotthardt. OTM-OTM stands for "on the man/on the move". Data packets and BlueForce data, which reflect the positions of their own forces, can be sent to the forces involved in the operation without any loss of information. The game changer here is that every commando can view the current situation picture generated by their own forces on the ground, by airborne assets or in the operations center in real time and without delay. "With RAP, the KSK gains a tactical on-the-move capability for dismounted forces that consumes little energy, saves additional material and is safe to use. Our soldiers also have the option of communicating with allied forces or the operations center via chat or voice-over-IP. Video streaming is also supported by RAP," explains Andre Gotthardt, adding that the extremely low configuration effort of the network system should not be underestimated. The commando soldiers stationed in Calw are also enthusiastic about the innovative project: "You're adding a capability to a 10 to 15-year-old radio that will catapult you into the next millennium!"
