Roke Launches World’s First Wide Area Military Communications Base Station

ROMSEY, England, June 28, 2011 -

Roke Manor Research today launches ‘ href="www.roke.co.uk/battlefieldconnect/">Battlefield
Connect‘, a portable wireless broadband base station which
creates a private communications network for military tactical
deployments, whilst significantly enhancing spectrum use.

The Battlefield Connect evaluation system is the world’s first
portable 3G base station to have up to a 40km range, more than
40,000 times the area covered by other similar devices. This
extends the communications range where no local infrastructure
exists on military deployments, such as peace keeping, special
operations and assistance to population roles.

By providing a self contained dedicated 3G network, Battlefield
Connect achieves efficient spectrum access, supporting high
bandwidth communications such as streaming video from UAVs or
imagery and biometric exchange, as well as simultaneous voice
communications, Internet access and texting. It is also fully
interoperable with the existing military command
infrastructure.

Battlefield Connect is rapidly deployable. Once the base station is
switched on, mobile phones with the private network’s SIM card work
immediately. This is an extremely cost effective and lightweight
solution as no specialist handset is required, negating the need
for training and reducing the soldier weight burden.

Battlefield Connect is also the first to support full mobility at
speeds of up to 120 kilometres per hour, allowing effective
communications between both static users, fast moving ground
vehicles and UAVs.

James Fisher, Business Development Manager at Roke, said: “Spectrum
overload is a constant issue for the military. This is particularly
so in a coalition environment which makes spectrum use even more
challenging as the airwaves are extremely busy. Battlefield Connect
allows an increased amount of high bandwidth information to be
channelled through the spectrum without overloading it.

“3G technology is already widely used in the commercial world,
meaning that the expensive research and design has already been
done. By using these ready-made components to develop Battlefield
Connect, we have created a cost effective and resilient solution
that will significantly improve the chain of command during a
military tactical deployment,” said Fisher.

About Roke Manor Research Ltd href="www.roke.co.uk">www.roke.co.uk

Roke Manor Research Ltd, based in Romsey, Hampshire, is the
principal electronics research and development centre of Chemring
Group Plc. Founded in 1956, Roke is one of the UK’s leading
suppliers of innovative solutions and contract R&D. Roke
employs 450 staff and has over 430 patents to its name. Roke
pioneers developments in electronic sensors, networks, and
communications technology.

Roke has over 50 years of communications experience, providing
customers with technology consultancy through to product
development. Roke’s communications expertise is focused on wireless
technologies and it has actively participated in 3G standardisation
including LTE. For many years it has undertaken radio access
network (RAN) and core network (CN) specification, architecture and
design, together with the implementation and customisation of
wireless physical and link layers for both the commercial mobile
communications and defence markets.

For further information please contact: Russell Hardy, Roke, +44(0)1794-833000, russell.hardy at roke.co.uk