Ultra Electronics integrates USAF C4 network

Ultra Electronics, DNE Technologies successfully integrated radar and secure voice radio traffic across a US Air Force tactical C4 network at a recent US Department of Defense exercise. During the recent Joint User Interoperability Communications Exercise 2011, Ultra-DNE's PacketAssure iQ (PA iQ) provided a reliable way forward for a traditionally Time Division Multiplexed (TDM) US Air Force air control system. 

Faced with obsolescence issues, the Air Force needed to identify a methodology for transmitting low latency radio and radar signals across an IP-based transport network.  The PA iQ was able to demonstrate a quick implementation solution by transporting the TDM traffic across the IP network and ensuring that the TDM traffic received prioritization over other IP traffic in the network according to the Quality of Service (QoS) policy enacted for the network.  In addition, the PA iQ was also used as part of an alternative equipment string replacing the obsolete equipment as a potential future Everything over IP (EoIP) spiral of the air control system.

"We were thrilled to assist the Air Force in evaluating short-term and long-term alternatives for their migration to an EoIP solution," commented William Berger, Director of Sales for DNE Technologies. "We needed to ensure that the radar, radio and data link traffic received the same predictable network performance in an IP network as it has in a TDM network."

The PA iQ combines legacy serial applications and IP-based applications and applies a simple-to-implement QoS policy for transport across an IP or serial transport network.  Because of its industry leading, low latency performance, critical combat systems are now able to be transmitted across shared C4 networks.

Source: Ultra Electronics, DNE Technologies