Page 52 - Australian Defence Magazine June 2021

50 LAND FORCES C4 EDGE
JUNE 2021 | WWW.AUSTRALIANDEFENCE.COM.AU
communicating over rugged or mountainous terrain, where, for security reasons, long range radiation methods are undesirable.
The system uses either the vehicle’s metal roof or light- weight aluminium base plate which also enables the an- tenna to be operated as a stand alone unit separate to the vehicle.
Tuning over the entire HF band is automatic via the ATU with ALE capability. High performance is assured, even in environments subject to noise interference due to the inherent filter qualities of the design, which combines automatic frequency tuning, a narrow bandwidth and ex- cellent NVIS propagation of the signal.
BODY WORN BROADBAND UHF
A cutting edge, high performance body worn antenna sys- tem for wideband communications and electronic warfare. Combining multiple antennas, the system maximises
radiation efficiency and delivers higher gain and a more consistent omnidirectional coverage resulting in higher power on target, greater range and/or longer battery life and lower battery weight, depending on system priorities.
The system minimises the effects of shadowing from the users body and/or equipment which provides substantially
improved omnidirectional radiation performance and re- duced RADHAZ to the wearer. The antennas unique con- figuration and durable construction allows the system to be integrated into a vest or pack making the antenna discreet and less prone to snagging.
CYBORG DYNAMICS ENGINEERING
Cyborg Dynamics Engineering is a robotics and AI com- pany specializing in advanced autonomy bespoke robotic solutions. To date it has provided novel robotic solutions to the construction, recreational vehicles and defence sectors.
For the C4 EDGE program Cyborg is providing integra- tion of the Australian designed and built Warfighter UGV platform into the C4Edge network, according to a state- ment from the company.
This will include integration with a number of other industry members such as XTEK, EOS and GME. Cy- borg brings years of involvement in robotics and AI to the program as well as its participation in the Army’s Hu- man Machine Teaming program. This has helped inform Cyborg’s design solutions for data transfer, UGV driving technology and human factors for UGV operation with dismounted forces.
The UGV is the lightest UGV in the world to effectively fire a 50 Cal machine gun, showcasing how the C4 EDGE program can communicate to vehicles, dismounted forces and unmanned systems across a battle net. The UGV con- trol, as part of the program, will be enabled via vehicle based interfaces or soldier End User Devices. Control handover will also be demonstrated, showcasing further capabilities.
To date Cyborg has interacted with a number of the C4 EDGE partners, in order to integrate the various sys- tems onto the platform and ensure it provides a seamless solution as part of the larger C4 edge program, accord- ing to the company. Cyborg is also able to leverage the wealth of knowledge amongst the C4 EDGE community to better inform its own design decisions with regards to battle management, UAS teaming, encryption and fre- quency management.
GME
For over 60 years, GME has been an industry leader in the civilian RF communication technology space, accord- ing to a statement from the company. Based in Western Sydney, GME remains a privately-owned company and is 100 per cent Australian, employing over 200 staff with a commitment to Australian design and manufacturing.
GME operates from our purpose-built facility complete with in-house engineering, state-of-the-art manufactur- ing, and national warehousing capabilities which support GME’s ability to undertake sovereign manufacturing proj- ects and create custom technical solutions within the RF Communications space.
LEFT: C4 EDGE is networking a number of products and technologies to avoid the Christmas tree effect on soldiers.
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