Case Study: Alliant Techsystems Inc.

Tactical Wireless Wide Area Network (WWAN)

Customer

Alliant Techsystems Inc. (ATK) is a leading provider of advanced weapon and space systems. In addition, ATK is the world’s leading supplier of solid rocket motors and the nation’s largest manufacturer of ammunition.

Project Objective

Design and manufacture a NetCentric UHF COTS-based Wireless Wide Area Network (WWAN) system to provide wide area connectivity to ATK Mobile Ground-to-Air Radar Jamming System (MGARJS) shelters deployed over hundreds of square kilometers. Deliver production quantities in six months ARO.

System Solution Approach

To meet ad hoc mesh and redundancy requirements, a multiple radio configuration approach was chosen. This physical link architecture coupled with a highly efficient multi-cell Media Access Control (MAC) scheme, together with a MANET proactive routing scheme met the ATK requirement for a flexible, redundant fixed and mobile wide area wireless network.

Equipment Description

SAFARI™ DCR900 Controller

The SAFARI™ DCR900 Controller is at the core of the NetCentric WWAN system, with each controller consisting of two independent high speed RF spread-spectrum frequency-hopping modems for operation in two independent bands. Each modem is independently configurable to support multiple hop patterns per band. The SAFARI™ DCR900 WWAN supports multiple physical link topologies, including peer-to-peer, peer-to-multipoint, and ad hoc mesh configurations. A robust network management and embedded diagnostics suite provides real-time local and remote system and network monitoring.

SAFARI™ DCR900 Amplifier

The SAFARI™ DCR900 Amplifier shelf provides the additional RF power required to punch through noise and reach out for more than 100+ km.

TacNET Mission Planning and Network Administration and Monitoring Application

TacNET is a Windows®-based network design and real-time verification software tool that enables mission commanders to graphically design SAFARI™ networks and subsequently verify operations in the field. Individual network configuration files can be uploaded directly to fixed or mobile nodes via Ethernet or over the air.

End-to-End System Solutions

Metric Systems can provide you with a tailored communications system to meet your specific networking and environmental requirements.

Options

• Power amplifier output options — 10 to 100 watts

• Security — The SAFARI™ DCR900 comes standard with 64/128-bit WEP/TKIP/AES-CCM/802.1x, WPA security features.

• Frequency bands — single or multiband support available
  • Military 30 MHz to 6 GHz
  • Federal, state and local government 30 MHz to 6 GHz
  • International unlicensed bands — 400 MHz, 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz

• Data rates supported
  • 64 kbps to 10 mbps +

• Network topologies supported
  • Point-to-point, peer-to-peer, bridge
  • Point-to-multipoint, ad hoc, ad hoc mesh

• Physical link redundant options
  • Auto-rerouting
  • Predefined recover links
  • Tandem links

Typical Configuration

TacNET screenshot

SAFARI™ DCR900 WWAN Data Sheet

To learn more about the capabilities of the SAFARI™ DCR900 WWAN, please download our data sheet (PDF, 209 kb), or to discuss your specific requirement, please contact us.

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