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Ultra Intelligence & Communications (Ultra I&C) has demonstrated its capabilities across multiple tactical bearers during a field exercise with the Canadian Armed Forces.
The exercise, HERMES FORGE, is designed to assess the modernization progress of its tactical network architecture.
As the proliferation of UAVs and the prevalence of long-range precision fires threaten traditional command post operations, the Canadian military has engaged select industry partners, including Ultra I&C, to develop resilient communications solutions that will meet new mobility requirements. After two years of collaboration with the Canadian Armed Forces, this culminating exercise showcased the speed, resilience, and reliability of Ultra I&C’s mobile command post solutions.
Faith Rhodes, Vice President of programs for Ultra I&C’s Communications division, said; “Ultra I&C’s participation in HERMES FORGE allowed us to showcase our technologies currently deployed within NATO countries.
“By validating these technologies during the exercise, we underscored our role as the proven partner to provide interoperable capabilities in the field in Europe and truly enable expeditionary missions with our coalition partners.”
Keith Blanchet, vice president of business development for Ultra I&Cs’ Communications division, added; “Ultra I&C has a unique expertise and advantage fielding SATCOM, LOS, and troposcatter communication bearers in an integrated fashion that provides the diversity of communications options our soldiers need to be successful.
“This enables network resilience and eases the burden of having to understand and operate disparate systems and tools, making it easy to set up and operate.”
Central to the successful demonstration was Ultra I&C’s latest generation of quick deploy vehicular-mast-mounted line-of-sight systems, critical for on-the-move-missions. In Dispersed Command Posts (DCPs), Ultra I&C’s small SWaP Orion X510 was shown to be interoperable with the existing X500 Upper Tactical Network backhaul waveforms as well as with the existing Trellisware waveform (TSM). The new Orion X630 radio was deployed on a Vertical Height Antenna system to allow highly mobile DCPs to reach back to a rear headquartered Orion X500 radio, while simultaneously extending the range of the Brigade TSM network. The deployment of Ultra I&C’s extra-light VSAT SATCOM terminal was also evaluated as an alternative bearer to Orion LOS for maintaining robust communications between rear HQ and DCPs at the tactical edge.
The initial soldier touchpoints and user engagement that took place during the HERMES FORGE exercise will inform the Canadian Armed Forces’ consideration to leverage Ultra I&C’s solutions for deployment into Latvia to enhance on-the-move mission tactical communications.
