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08 Nov 22. Chinese Whispers.
Norm Wade’s new book on the Chinese military is an important addition to the body of literature examining this large, yet opaque, force. The work contains some excellent analysis of how the Chinese army deploys tactical communications with the manoeuvre force.
An important new book sheds much-needed insight on the People’s Liberation Army’s manoeuvre force tactical communications posture.
Armada is a fan of the books published by The Lightning Press. We have interviewed Norm Wade, its publisher and primary author, in a previous Armada Electronic Warfare Podcast. No surprise then that we were delighted when a brace of new works from Mr. Wade arrived in the Armada editorial office. Of particular interest was his new book on the Chinese Military. Clearly and concisely written and well-illustrated, the volume is a must for anyone interested in the People’s Liberation Army (PLA).
The work contains important information on how the PLA’s Ground Force (PLAGF) deploys tactical communications with its manoeuvre formations. Mr. Wade says that manoeuvre force radio communications are a relatively new capability for the PLAGF. As these were rolled out across the manoeuvre units they were initially deployed at the divisional level. Battalions would have radios, but subordinate units would not. The latter would have to stay physically close to their headquarters and use dispatch riders to move traffic between dispersed units.
Mr. Wade states that the army writ large is now performing an overarching modernisation of its radio communications. He continues that the force’s “desired end state is likely to have every squad or patrol equipped with a secure, reliable radio communications capability”.
Networks and Hardware
From a hardware perspective, existing tactical radio designs owe much to military radios procured from the United States in the 1970s and 1980s, says Mr. Wade. The manoeuvre force can use the People’s Republic of China’s domestic telecommunications network to move voice and data traffic. That said, these domestic conduits would only be used for Chinese domestic military operations.
Indigenous military Satellite Communications (SATCOM) suffers bandwidth limitations, Mr. Wade writes, being reserved for “the highest priority networks”. However, these limitations could be relieved in the coming years. The Chinese military is expanding the size and scope of its military SATCOM constellations meaning that satellite communications could be expanded to the lowest tactical echelons.
Company- and battalion-level command posts house backpack and/or vehicular radios hosting encrypted networks. These transceivers include the TBR-121 radio also used by platoon commanders. This radio is similar to Single Channel Ground-Airborne Radio System transceivers used by US and allied militaries. Mr. Wade adds that PLAGF tactical networks primarily provide encrypted voice communications with limited data carriage.
He continues that tactical networks furnishing artillery and forward observer networks typically use the TBR-142 system. This is not a radio per se but instead a system-of-systems creating an artillery and observer tactical network. These link upwards from battalion to brigade level. Mr. Wade says that the tactical networks supporting artillery brigades tend to carry heavier data traffic. Networks like these move information between artillery and rocket batteries.
Outlook
Mr. Wade argues that the roll-out of advanced tactical communications across the PLAGF is a work in progress: “The expansion of modern communications capabilities to lower echelons has been challenging”, he asserts. This has been somewhat alleviated by incoming young and tech-savvy recruits comfortable operating the advanced communications systems the PLAGF is inducting. That said, the force continues to struggle with communications challenges commonplace to all land forces: “Roadblocks will likely include everything from dealing with frequency management issues in a contested electronic environment to a lack of batteries at lower tactical echelons”.
He adds that China’s development of tactical datalinks like the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation’s Link-16 “is still in its infancy”. Moreover, communications capacities remain unequal across the manoeuvre force. Higher echelons enjoy access to SATCOM and troposcatter radios, but such non-line-of-sight assets do not appear widely deployed to subordinate echelons. Integration between sea, land and air assets “is poor to non-existent”. As Mr. Wade notes, this will place a major brake on the PLA achieving much-desired levels of jointness unless urgently addressed in the future. (Source: Armada)
10 Nov 22. Currawong’s Song.
The Network Access Module forms the central part of Australia’s Currawong battlefield communications system. This acts as the ‘clearing house’ managing incoming and outgoing line-of-sight and BLOS links.
The Australian Defence Force’s Currawong battlefield communications system provides a plethora of links to deployed forces at tactical and operational levels.
Taking its name from a specie of bird native to Australia, the Currawong battlefield communications system provides secure communications for tough and austere locations. It is being procured via the Australian Department of Defence’s Land 2072 Phase-2B initiative.
At the heart of Currawong is the Network Access Module (NAM) enclosed in a rugged case, according to documentation discussing the project. The NAM includes a power supply and housing for specific ‘bricks’ which plug into the system according to mission demands. Some bricks will always be used with the module such as those carrying the tactical edge server and tactical services router. These in turn host IP (Internet Protocol) voice, data and video networking and routing services. Likewise, mission system management software is included in the module to supervise its functions. The module’s software will identify the best bearer network for traffic depending on several factors. These include the local environment, the traffic to be carried and available links.
Capability Bricks
Boeing’s Australian subsidiary is leading the Currawong project. It told Armada via a written statement that the six ‘bricks’ cover the provision of long-haul fibre optics. This “provides high-speed, gigabit fibre optic network connections between deployed nodes”. The High-Capacity Line-of-Sight brick “provides microwave communications between nodes over long distances where terrain allows for radio line-of-sight”. A third capability provides troposcatter communications for Beyond Line-of-Sight (BLOS) communications.
Troposcatter communications use signals on frequencies of 300 megahertz up to 30 gigahertz. Transmissions are aimed towards the troposphere, a layer of the atmosphere on average about 59,000 feet (18,000 metres) above the Earth’s surface. Signals collide with the troposphere and are scattered back to Earth, being picked up by the receiving antenna. Much like high frequency radio, troposcatter communications achieve BLOS ranges by skipping over the horizon.
The Currawong battlefield communications system also hosts standard military radio networks moving traffic between these networks and across beyond line-of-sight links when needed.
An External Network Access Point (ENAP) lets users move voice and data traffic securely across public networks such as local internet services. Two Satellite Communications (SATCOM) bricks can work with the NAM. These provide access to the US and allied Wideband Global SATCOM (WGS) constellation. WGS provides X-band (7.9-8.4 gigahertz/GHz uplink/7.25-7.75GHz downlink) and Ka-band (26.5-40GHz uplink/18-20GHz downlink) SATCOM. The bricks facilitate connections with trailer-mounted and transportable satellite communications terminals carrying WGS traffic.
Towards Full Capacity
Boeing’s statement added that Currawong is intended for both tactical- and operational-level deployment “providing remote headquarter operations as well as connecting to, and extending, tactical communications infrastructure for deployed forces”. It’s Radio Interface System lets standard military transceivers be connected to the module and their traffic moved between their associated networks. Similarly, this traffic can be moved across beyond line-of-sight ranges with the fibre optic and SATCOM conduits. This is particularly useful when operationally or strategically relevant traffic needs to be transferred to higher echelons from tactical networks.
While the system’s initial operational capability was declared in April 2018, the Australian armed forces are looking forward to the full rollout of all Currawong’s capabilities. This should occur by mid-2023.
(Source: Armada)
09 Nov 22. Networking Event.
The Integrated Tactical Network heralds a step change in terms of connectivity for dismounted and mechanised infantry and armoured units supporting the manoeuvre force. A plethora of systems can plug into this network and handle non-classified traffic with ease.
The next iteration of the US Army’s Integrated Tactical Network, known as Capability Set 23, is moving ahead.
The US Army’s Integrated Tactical Network (ITN) has a simple philosophy. The army wants a deployable network handling non-classified traffic using military radios and civilian devices. The latter includes smartphones and tablets. Hiving off non-classified traffic onto the ITN frees space on other tactical communications networks for secure traffic. In a world where bandwidth is becoming a precious resource on and off the battlefield, this has clear benefits. As it is not handling non-classified traffic, the ITN can connect US Army units with allied forces assisting coalition operations.
Writ large, the programme aims to correct mistakes the army has made when procuring communications systems in the past. “US legacy tactical communications programmes such as WIN-T and JTRS have followed very rigid procurement processes that did not always deliver,” says Jimi Henderson, vice president of sales at Silvus Technologies. The result was that some of these programmes did not always deliver desired capabilities. “ITN is a rethink of how we procure and field communications equipment”.
Echelons
The US Army has told the author that the ITN will be implemented at brigade, battalion, company, platoon and squad levels. The force is acquiring an array of equipment to support the ITN including Klas Telecom’s Battalion and Company Tactical Radio Integration Kit. This provides brigade, battalion and company voice and data gateways. ITN devices need a common operating system. This is furnished by Sierra Nevada Corporation’s TRAX software which processes the data moved around the network. PAR Government’s TAK Tactical Assault Kit server software helps manage the ITN. 4K Solutions and Verizon are providing mobile broadband wifi systems deployable on the battlefield to help host the ITN. Hoverfly, GATR and Tampa Microwave provide the network’s conventional and satellite communications antennas. TrellisWare furnishes its TW-950 and TW-875 radios, and Silvus Technologies its’ AN/PRC-169 StreamCaster radios. Samsung Tactical Smartphone End User Devices (EUDs) with their cellular functions disabled running PAR Government’s WINTAK software will furnish dismounted troops providing a conduit to send and receive ITN data.
The AN/PRC-169 StreamCaster radio provides communications between brigade and battalion command posts providing a self-organising Mobile Ad-Hoc Network (MANET). The software defined radios’ multiple-in/multiple-out architecture mitigates interference across multiple microwave frequency bands. Inter- and intra-platoon and company ITN communications is provided by TrellisWare’s TSM ultra-high frequency (300MHz to three gigahertz) waveform. TSM is already carried by an array of army radios, notably Thales AN/PRC-148D and L3Harris AN/PRC-163 handheld transceivers. It is also used by L3Harris’ AN/PRC-158 and Collins’ AN/PRC-162 backpack radios. To give an example of how the ITN will work, a soldier connects their EUD to their handheld radio. This ensemble is used to send and receive unclassified voice and data traffic across the network. Likewise, they maybe in range of the mobile broadband infrastructure and connect their EUD to this avoiding the need to use their radio.
Silvus Technologies’ AN/PRC-169 StreamCaster radio plays a vital part in the overall architecture of the US Army’s Integrated Tactical Network. The radio’s mesh networking capabilities are expected to be further explored in the future.
Capability Sets
The US Army is introducing the ITN via several so-called ‘Capability Sets’ which are being rolled out across US Army manoeuvre brigades. CS21 has already been fielded with infantry Brigade Combat Teams (BCTs) providing communications at the halt. The 82nd Airborne Division’s 1st and 3rd Brigade Combat Teams (BCT) now have the ITN. They are joined by the 25th Infantry Division’s 173rd Airborne Brigade and 3rd BCT. US Army Enhanced Expeditionary Signal Battalions (ESBEs) which provide communications support to US Army expeditionary forces have received the ITN. The Multi-Domain Task Force (MDTF) joins the ESBEs in obtaining the network. In the words of the US Army the MDTF is a “theatre-level manoeuvre (element) designed to synchronise precision effects and precision fires in all domains against adversary anti-access/area-denial networks in all domains”.
CS23 takes the ITN architecture into Stryker BCTs built around General Dynamics’ M-1126 Stryker family of wheeled armoured fighting vehicles. Many of the ITN hardware components for the Stryker BCTs remain the same as those for the infantry BCTs, says Mr. Henderson. That said, some of the waveforms used to carry traffic across the ITN in the Stryker BCTs will receive Silvus’ latest spectrum dominance enhancements with advanced interference avoidance and cancellation capabilities. As with the infantry BCTs, Stryker units will use the ITN for communications at the halt.
Work is already ongoing for CS25, Mr. Henderson adds. This will be rolled out across armoured BCTs. Unlike the CS21/23 architectures this provides ITN on-the-move. It will also see air assets like uninhabited aerial vehicles being used as communications relays to extend deployed ITNs. Mr. Henderson said he looks forward to the army exploring the AN/PRC-169’s StreamCaster MANET attributes further. This could see it supporting other use cases such as distributed command post covert communications in contested/congested environments. (Source: Armada)
10 Nov 22. November Radio Roundup. Armada’s monthly roundup of all the latest news in the military communications product, programme and operational domains.
Modular Machinations
L3Harris’ new Distributed Tactical Communications System (DTCS) mission module is now available for procurement Nick McGarry, the company’s business development manager told Armada. He added that the modules are available for pre-order and deliveries will start in early 2023. The module is compatible with L3Harris’ AN/PRC-163 Falcon-IV multichannel handheld radio. It lets the user connect to the US Space Force’s Enhanced Mobile Satellite Service’ DTCS network. The network uses the Iridium satellite service to provide worldwide connectivity. Iridium occupies frequencies between 1.616 gigahertz/GHz and 1.626GHz.
Once the module is connected to the radio, the user can employ the DTCS network for the carriage of voice and data traffic. Alongside its use by the US armed forces, the network is accessible by other Five Eyes nations, notably Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. Mr. McGarry continued that the mission module is available for procurement via the US Foreign Military Sales route. “Adding the mission module provides a tremendous increase in capacity and is very easy for the operator to grasp because they are already very familiar with the radio”, he continued. No hardware changes are needed for the radio to use the mission module. Instead, a software update will suffice. Over the longer term, L3Harris plans to team the module with its AN/PRC-167 Falcon-IV multichannel backpack radio.
One of L3Harris’ AN/PRC-163 handheld multichannel radios with the DTCS mission module attached to the transceiver via a cable. The module provides access to the US Distributed Tactical Communications System.
Small Antenna, Big Potential
Thales unveiled a quantum antenna at this year’s Euronaval exhibition held in Paris between 18th and 21st October. The company told Armada it is examining applications for quantum technology, including the use of quantum antennas for Very Low Frequency (VLF) and Low Frequency (LF) traffic. VLF, which uses frequencies of three to 30 kilohertz/KHz, and LF (30KHz to 300KHz) typically need long antennas. These can sometimes be several hundred metres long. Thales officials revealed the company is looking at quantum technologies as a mechanism for vastly reducing antenna size. The prototype antenna on the Thales stand was well below 500mm in size, including its accompanying electronics.
The antenna design uses superconductivity to harness quantum capability. Superconductivity depends on extremely low temperatures of circa a few degrees above absolute zero. The company has employed technology its has developed in the past for its cooled night vision systems to provide such temperatures. The significant reduction in antenna size enabled by quantum technology could have major ramifications for the VLF and LF domains. Until now the employment of these communications has typically been restricted by available ‘real estate’ to accommodate such large and unwieldy antennas.
Thales officials said that the company has performed radio frequency transmission and reception tests using this quantum antenna technology. These tests validated the quantum antenna principles and technologies. The company said that it will now discuss with existing customers how its quantum antenna technology could be employed in existing and emerging capabilities over the coming years.
MilSoft Confident on Link-M for Turkish Navy
Officials from MilSOFT told Armada they have had discussions with the Türk Deniz Kuvvetleri (Turkish Navy) on the force adopting the company’s Link-M Tactical Datalink (TDL). Speaking during this year’s Euronaval exhibition in Paris, MilSOFT said it had demonstrated the TDL’s capabilities to the force. The Turkish Navy currently uses the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation’s (NATO) Link-11 and Link-22 TDLs. These use wavebands of two megahertz/MHz to 29.9MHz and 225MHz to 399.975MHz. MilSoft told Armada the Turkish Navy has shown interest in adopting Link-M in the future. This would be used alongside Link-11/22.
Although Link-M uses the same frequencies as Link-11/22, it also carries TDL traffic across satellite communications links. Like the NATO TDLs the Link-M protocol uses time division, multiple access networking accommodating up to 100 subscribers on each network. The link can handle between four and eight networks simultaneously. Although Link-M has AES-256 standard encryption it can handle national encryption standards if desired by the customer. Usefully, Link-M traffic can be routed through a translator into Link-11/16/22 networks and vice versa. To this end, Link-M handles J-Series and M-Series messages alongside other standard TDL protocols. MilSoft officials added that development of Link-M is complete and the product is ready for acquisition. Alongside the Turkish Navy, they said the TDL had been demonstrated to several other forces.
SeaCom for Israeli Corvettes
The Israeli Navy’s new ‘Sa’ar-6’ class corvettes are receiving Rafael Advanced Defence System’s SeaCom naval communications system, company officials told Armada at Euronaval. SeaCom integrates all a vessel’s external and internal communications. It can work with third party communications systems, or those provided by the company. Alongside the ‘Sa’ar-6’ class, officials said that SeaCom has outfitted the navy’s ‘Sa’ar-5’ class corvettes and ‘Dolphin’ class Conventional Hunter-Killer Submarines (SSKs). The system is also scheduled for the new ‘Dakar’ class SSKs replacing the Dolphins. Beyond Israel, Rafael shared that the company has installed SeaCom on Royal Thai Navy and Philippines Navy warships. It is also equipping surface combatants belonging to the Forțele Navale Române (Romanian Navy). The first Romanian ship should receive SeaCom by the end of 2023.
Distributing the Signals
Polomarconi also took advantage of Euronaval to share product news. The company produces its Radio Frequency Distribution System (RFDS). This provides a central merging and splitting point for a naval vessel’s disparate communications capabilities. The RFDS covers wavebands of 100 megahertz up to two gigahertz. The existing system provides four Very/Ultra High Frequency (V/UHF) channels, but company officials told Armada this will be increased to 16 V/UHF channels by late 2023. This improvement will be available as a replaceable rack that can be installed in the RFDS cabinet. The equipment will also benefit from a redesigned broadband antenna. The RFDS is used extensively by the Marina Militare (Italian Navy) and other navies around the world. (Source: Armada)
09 Nov 22. USAF seeks industry input on Cloud One successor contract. The Department of the Air Force is seeking industry feedback as it prepares a follow-up arrangement for its landmark Cloud One program.
The department, which includes the Air and Space forces, on Nov. 4 published a request for information for Cloud One Next, what it called C1N, asking companies how they “might approach managing and modernizing Cloud One” while factoring in “recent government leadership direction.”
Both the National Defense Strategy, made public in late October, and the Air Force chief information officer’s strategy for fiscal 2023-2028 were attached to the notice.
Key questions the request wants answered include what metrics organizations use to measure satisfaction while migrating and operating applications, what applications should not be moved to the cloud, and how organizations approach cybersecurity in a volatile setting, documents show.
Responses are due Dec. 5.
Cloud One is a cloud hosting and service platform that features assets from big-name players, including Amazon and Microsoft. The Air Force previously described it as a common development, testing and production environment that is stable, secure and resource efficient.
Science Applications International Corporation years ago began work on the Cloud One program — a deal worth hundreds of mILLIONs of dollars. The Virginia-based company at the time said it would transition approximately 800 Air Force and Army mission applications to the cloud.
The teasing of Cloud One Next comes as the Defense Department readies a potential $9bn cloud computing contract known as the Joint Warfighting Cloud Capability and as leaders advocate for greater uptake of digital ecosystems.
JWCC, as it’s known, is expected to be awarded in December, some eight months after its initial deadline. The arrangement is meant to beef up the Defense Department’s capabilities by bridging unclassified, secret and top-secret tranches while still reaching the military’s most remote edge. It’s also a crucial piece of Joint All-Domain Command and Control, the department’s vision of seamless information sharing and international coordination.
Officials last year contacted Amazon, Google, Microsoft and Oracle about JWCC, which is seen as the successor to the failed Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure venture.
The JWCC plan comprises a three-year base with one-year options. Competition for a future multi-cloud environment is expected to follow. (Source: Defense News)
09 Nov 22. Sharing intelligence and expertise with U.S. In support of the security of both nations and our allies, the Ministry of Defence maintains a strong relationship with the US Department of Defense.
Strategic Command, which leads on cyber activity for Defence, plays a key role in sustaining and advancing this relationship.
Recently UKStratCom hosted Honorable Ron Moultrie, U.S. Under Secretary for Intelligence and Security, during his visit to the UK for a series of engagements with Defence personnel.
Defence Intelligence facilitated a series of discussions between Hon Ron Moultrie and UK officials on the operational use of intelligence, including with newly appointed Chief of Defence Intelligence Adrian Bird CB.
Hon Moultrie also visited several Strategic Command sites to understand more about how the organisation uses digital capabilities and intelligence to benefit operations and military effectiveness.
Speaking on the visit, Commander Strategic Command General Sir Jim Hockenhull said
At Strategic Command our aims of accelerating the digitisation of Defence go hand in hand with the effective use of intelligence and data.
The U.S. is our foremost ally and partner in this area, and our working relationship in various domains, including cyber, helps to protect us from an array of threats.” (Source: https://www.gov.uk/)
09 Nov 22. New National Cyber Advisory Board meets to protect UK’s interests. Government and industry have chaired a new National Cyber Advisory Board for the first time to discuss how they will protect and promote the UK’s interests in cyberspace, including how best to counter growing cyber threats. Co-chaired by the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Oliver Dowden, and Chief Information Officer at Lloyds Banking Group, Sharon Barber, the Board, which met yesterday (Tuesday, 8 November), ensures that senior leaders from the private and third sectors challenge, support and inform the UK’s strategic approach to cyber.
This includes making the UK a more secure and resilient nation better prepared for evolving threats and risks and using cyber capabilities to protect the public against crime, fraud and hostile state threats.
The meeting comes in the wake of new official figures which reveal that in the 12 months to March 2022 there have been 2.7m cyber-related frauds to individuals and businesses. The UK is now the third most targeted nation for cyber attacks, behind the USA and Ukraine.
The Board champions a ‘whole of society’ approach to building the UK’s cyber future established as part of the UK’s National Cyber Strategy – which is backed by £2.6bn of funding and aims to make the UK a leading and democratic cyber power by 2030.
Its members include leaders from Google Cloud and Vodafone, ASOS and Marks and Spencers, to Queen’s University Belfast and the UK Cyber Security Council.
Chair of the Board and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Oliver Dowden, said: “Protecting and promoting the UK’s interests in cyberspace cannot be achieved in isolation, it must be a shared endeavour between government and all parts of the economy and society. We have seen how cyber attacks are increasing, putting the UK and our businesses and services on the frontline of global threats. That’s why this new National Cyber Advisory Board is so important, bringing leaders from across industry, the third sector and academia to share information and expertise on how to build and protect our digital economy and services.”
Co-chair and Chief Information Officer at Lloyds Banking Group, Sharon Barber, commented: “The digital world is ever changing and businesses and the Government must continue to adapt, innovate and invest in order to protect ourselves, the public, and our data – that’s why we need everyone around the table through the Board working together to help keep individuals and businesses safe online. Only if we ensure everyone plays their part in the UK’s cyber future will we prosper from the opportunities that the online world brings.”
The new Board will work closely with the Government’s National Cyber Security Centre, which is already running campaigns and training for business, Government and consumers to build cyber resilience.
This month the NCSC and the City of London Police will be launching a new ‘Cyber Aware’ campaign to help people reduce the risk of cyber fraud in the run-up to Christmas by helping shoppers to reduce their vulnerability to fraud.
The National Cyber Advisory Board will meet every quarter, with the next meeting expected to take place in the first quarter of 2023.
Full membership of the Board:
Rt Hon Oliver Dowden CBE MP, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (Co-Chair)
Sharon Barber, Chief Information Officer, Lloyds Banking Group (Co-Chair)
Julian David, CEO, Tech UK
Claudia Natanson, Chairperson, UK Cyber Security Council.
Stephen Bonner, Executive Director, Regulatory Futures, Information Commissioner’s Office
Debbie Forster, Co-founder and CEO, Tech Talent Charter
Nick Godfrey, Director, Office of the CISO, Google Cloud
Saj Huq, Director of Innovation, Plexal
Chris Johnson, Pro Vice Chancellor, Engineering and Physical Sciences, Queen’s University Belfast
Rachel Laursen, Global CISO and Head of Technology Risk, Marks and Spencer
Emma Smith, Cyber Security Director, Vodafone
Don Smith, Vice President, Secureworks
Yasmin Brooks, Co-Lead Global Cyber & Data Practice, Brunswick Group
Alison Dyer, CISO, ASOS
David Meads, Chief Executive, UK and Ireland, CISCO
Stuart Aston, National Security Officer, Microsoft.
(Source: https://www.gov.uk/)
08 Nov 22. Airbus bows out of Trinity bid. Sources suggest that Airbus has withdrawn from the bidding process for Trinity, the UK MoD’s replacement Programme for the Falcon system citing time constraints in the bidding process. This leaves the BAE Systems Team which includes L34Harris, KBR, PA Consultants, the Boeing and Elbit Teams. BAE Systems is tipped as the favourite to win the id with the follow-on NIOBE Requirement. TRINITY will provide a deployable Wide Area Network (WAN) with significantly increased bandwidth and information mobility compared to current systems, replacing the current Falcon system. It will be platform compliant assuring the integrity and availability of the data; it will also be part of the Protected Core Network. The Trinity PQQs were issued in May 2021 with the ITT believed to be slated for October 2021. Airbus is amongst the Trinity bidders which will replace the BAE Systems Falcon system.
Falcon Sustain
Falcon is a hardened, deployable secure network communication capability. It is fielded with the army and the RAF and primarily supports large deployed headquarters through to deployed air bases. Falcon Sustain is a new support contract to maintain this capability until the capability is replaced by TRINITY and NSoIT(D) in 2024.
Ultra ORION radio system
The Ultra ORION radio system is a core part of the Falcon system and will be migrated to Trinity. The ORION radio system is a software-defined, multi-channel, multi-band, MIMO radio platform that provides a Unified Heterogeneous Wireless Network (HetNet) capable of supporting a diversity of user requirements and resilient network operations in contested and congested environments. Providing fixed and mobile communications across multiple echelons, the ORION combines exceptional operational flexibility and interoperability in a small form factor.
The Ultra ORION radio system enhances the communications capabilities of military units by providing higher levels of data throughput at extended ranges, including critical areas at the tactical edge via military mesh networks. With increased deployment of advanced sensors, voice, data and video applications within the armed forces, on-demand access to a secure and resilient communications network is a critical operational requirement.
NIOBE
The user requires platforms, to host a wide variety of deployable Communication and Information Systems (CIS) capabilities including interchange. It will deliver these services in a coherent, secure and consumable manner at the point and time of need of the Land Domain User (Warfighter and Systems). It will provide a multi-platform common CIS fit using in-service CIS, be mission configurable, provide increased connectivity, range and bandwidth from sub-unit to Corps HQs.
08 Nov 22. Pentagon to unveil zero-trust cyber strategy. The U.S. Department of Defense’s zero-trust strategy will be published in the coming days, giving the public a fresh look at its plan to achieve a new level of cybersecurity.
Pentagon Chief Information Officer John Sherman said Monday that he approved the plan “last Thursday” and it’s now “going through the public review process.” The documents, he said, should be out “very soon.”
The strategy will lay out the Pentagon’s approach to realizing zero trust, which comprises more than 100 activities and so-called pillars, including applications, automation and analytics, to keep critical data secure.
Zero trust is a new paradigm for cybersecurity, one that assumes networks are always at risk. As a result, continuous validation of users and devices is needed. The practice is often likened to “never trust, always verify” — or, as Sherman put it: “You truly trust no one or no thing.”
The pivot to active defense and inherent distrust comes after decades of investment in the Middle East, where U.S. troops confronted lesser-equipped forces and networks and communications were less at risk. Now, the U.S. faces China and Russia, cyber-savvy world powers with histories of digital aggressiveness.
“It doesn’t represent a defeat, it doesn’t mean that we’re not strong cyber defenders. But it recognizes that we live in a very sophisticated threat environment,” Sherman said at a Defense Information Systems Agency event in Maryland. “We’ve got to defend differently. We can’t just defend at the perimeter. That’s part of it, but not all of it.”
Defense officials previously imposed a five-year deadline to implement zero trust. Sherman on Monday described the target as a “heavy lift.”
“We’re talking about getting this done by 2027 for a 4-m-person enterprise. We’ve learned from a number of the big companies, whose names you know, who have been down this path, services that have done parts of this,” he said. “We recognize this cannot be an optional way to approach it.”
DISA in late July extended a zero-trust deal, known as Thunderdome, with Booz Allen Hamilton, citing lessons learned from the Russia-Ukraine war and the need to further insulate the Secure Internet Protocol Router Network, or SIPRNet, a means of relaying secrets.
DISA, the Pentagon’s lead IT agency, in January awarded Booz Allen the $6.8m contract to develop a Thunderdome prototype. The subsequent six-month extension lengthens the pilot to a full year, with completion now expected at the start of 2023. Sherman on Monday said the forthcoming zero-trust strategy “is informed greatly by what is going on with Thunderdome, with the DISA team here.” (Source: Defense News)
08 Nov 22. Northrop Grumman’s Integrated Battle Command System (IBCS) completed the final, demanding assessment, during its recent Operational Test and Evaluation (IOT&E). Completion of IOT&E is the last major test event before the U.S. Army makes the decision to move the program from low rate initial production to full rate production, allowing IBCS to be fielded around the world.
Beginning in January, at White Sands Missile Range (WSMR), New Mexico, IBCS began a series of operational flight tests. Throughout the 10-month period, soldiers operated IBCS in complex test environments encompassing a broad spectrum of attack and defense scenarios under realistic operating conditions, stressing the system as never before, and under intense scrutiny by U.S. Army independent evaluators.
“Throughout IOT&E, we’ve shown how IBCS enables the warfighter to make more informed and faster decisions,” said Christine Harbison, vice president and general manager, combat systems and mission readiness, Northrop Grumman. “IBCS is ready for today’s threats and those of the future, making Joint All-Domain Command and Control (JADC2) a reality.”
Across two IO&TE flight tests at WSMR, IBCS detected, tracked, and intercept threats that included: a high speed, high performance tactical ballistic missile and two cruise missile surrogates during a stressing electronic attack.
Once fielded, IBCS will extend the battlespace beyond what a single sensor tied to a single effector can provide, allowing the use of a sensor or effector’s full range and enabling the warfighter to quickly see and act on data across the entire battlefield.
Northrop Grumman designed IBCS with a modular, open, and scalable system architecture that is foundational to integrating all available assets in the battlespace, regardless of source, service, or domain. Its architecture enables the efficient and affordable integration of current and future systems and extends the battlespace by disaggregating sensors and effectors. Through numerous successful tests and demonstrations, IBCS has validated the ability to connect and fuse multi-service sensor data to multi-service weapons, demonstrating JADC2 capabilities.
07 Nov 22. Pentagon closing in on $9bn cloud contract award after scuttling JEDI. The U.S. Department of Defense expects to award early next month the Joint Warfighting Cloud Capability contract, a multi-vendor, enterprise-wide platform for the acquisition of bns of dollars of commercial computing services, after a predecessor was canceled last year amid allegations of political interference.
Speaking Nov. 7 at an industry engagement event in Maryland, Chief Information Officer John Sherman said the Pentagon is “getting ready to award JWCC in about a month, 30 days-ish, from now,” in line with previous predictions made by defense officials of a decision by the end of the year.
“I am so excited about what we have done with JWCC,” he said, “and in anticipation for the upcoming award here.”
JWCC is seen as the successor to the Pentagon’s failed Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure endeavor, or JEDI, which was awarded to Microsoft and ultimately abandoned in July 2021. The cancellation came amid a feud between Amazon and the Trump administration, which the company accused of tainting the $10bn competition.
The new cloud computing deal, worth as much as $9bn, is meant to connect the military’s most remote edge with its farthest headquarters while bridging classifications and other sensitivities. The Defense Department is trying to institute JWCC as pressure builds to more effectively process and pass information to forces across land, air, sea, space and cyber, a notion known as Joint All-Domain Command and Control, or JADC2.
Sherman on Monday said the creation and award of JWCC — previously advertised for April, but now delayed — would not have been possible without the JEDI experience.
“I know JEDI was seen as, you know, something that happened in fits and starts,” he said. “It was the right decision for the right time.”
The complex JADC2 concept is “utterly reliant on having an enterprise cloud capability that operates at all three security classifications, top secret, secret, unclassified, from the continental United States all the way up to the tactical edge,” Sherman said, adding that Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks “has been very clear on this. JWCC, enterprise cloud, is the fundamental pillar of JADC2.”
The JWCC plan comprises a three-year base with one-year options. A competition for a future multi-cloud environment is expected to follow. (Source: Defense News)
07 Nov 22. How Australia plans to triple its offensive cyber capabilities. Australia’s largest health insurer said Oct. 26 a cybercriminal had hacked the personal data of its 4 m customers. The thief has demanded a ransom and reportedly threatened to expose the diagnoses and treatments of Medibank’s high-profile customers.
The incident comes a month after Australia’s second-largest wireless telecommunications carrier, Optus, became aware that personal data of more than one-third of the country’s population of 26 m had been stolen.
But these hacks represent just a small portion of the cyberattacks that target Australia. “Throughout recent years, Australia has been targeted by a range of actors conducting cyber operations that pose a significant threat to our security,” Rachel Noble, who heads the Australian Signals Directorate, wrote in a document outlining Redspice, the government’s plan to bolster its cyber capabilities.
Redspice — which stands for Resilience, Effects, Defence, Space, Intelligence, Cyber, Enablers — is set to receive AU$9.9 bn (U.S. $6.3 bn) over the next decade, the government of then-Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced in March.
The funding represents the largest-ever investment in Australia’s national cyber and intelligence capabilities.
Where will the money come from?
Formed 75 years ago, the Australian Signals Directorate, or ASD, is part of the Defence Department and is entrusted to provide foreign signals intelligence, cybersecurity advice and offensive cyber operations to meet the needs of the department and the military.
The funding for Redspice is meant to triple Australia’s current offensive cyber capability, double its persistent digital hunting activities, develop advanced artificial intelligence and machine-learning capabilities, and quadruple the global footprint of ASD. It’s also meant to bring on 1,900 new employees and open offices in Brisbane, Perth and Melbourne.
“This investment in ASD recognizes the deteriorating strategic circumstances in our region, characterized by rapid military expansion, growing coercive behavior and increased cyberattacks. It acknowledges the nature of conflict has changed, with cyberattacks now commonly preceding other forms of military intervention — most recently demonstrated by offensive cyber activity against Ukraine,” then-Defence Minister Peter Dutton said in March.
“Redspice ensures Australia keeps pace with the rapid growth of cyber capabilities of potential adversaries. It provides new intelligence capabilities, new cyber defence capabilities to protect our most critical systems, and is a real increase in the potency to strike back in cyberspace,” he added.
While the exact capabilities and activities of ASD are a closely guarded secret, Noble provided some details when she testified in April before a Senate panel on government spending.
“Our job in ASD is as an operational agency with particular regard to cybersecurity — so providing technical advice and assistance to all Australians,” Noble said. “That’s a very different role to the Office of National Intelligence, which is to essentially provide strategic intelligence assessment[s].”
The director general added that the “vast amount” of increased capability to be delivered will come from the increased workforce and the establishment of the new offices around the country.
Although the funding stretches over 10 years, Noble said, the workforce would triple by the 2026-2027 time frame — growing by 400 personnel in 2023-2024; 600 in 2024-2035; 500 in 2025-2026; and about 200 in 2026-2027.
According to the first budget released by the current government on Oct. 25, spending in the 2021-2022 financial year was AU$1.17 bn. Redspice will see funding for 2022-2023 rise to AU$1.7 bn, and then AU$2.32 bn for 2023-2024.
With Redspice funding at AU$9.9 bn over 10 years, AU$4.2 bn of that has to be found in the four-year forward estimates period. (Australia’s forward estimates include the level of expenses proposed by the government for future years, based on economic, demographic and forecasting assumptions.)
Of the AU$4.2 bn, only AU$588.7 m will be new money, requiring AU$3.6 bn to come from the Defence Department’s Integrated Investment Program, a fully funded plan meant to set the course for defense acquisition over future years. In other words, if a project is listed as part of the program, funding is available for that project over the specified time frame. It is unusual — but not unheard of — for a project to be removed from the IIP.
It’s unclear where the remainder of the funding total will come from.
So far, this has resulted in the cancelation of the Royal Australian Air Force’s AU$1.3 bn MQ-9B SkyGuardian armed drone program. The direct link was confirmed before a Senate hearing by Matt Yannopoulous, in the acting role of defense secretary. Deliveries were expected to begin in the middle of this decade under Project Air 7003 Phase 1.
Australia chose to axe the SkyGuardian procurement effort because it had yet to reach Gate 2 approval, and was therefore easier to cancel. However, the new defense minister, Richard Marles, has promised to study the previous government’s decision as part of a Defence Strategic Review to be completed in the first half of 2023.
Another major defense acquisition effort yet to gain Gate 2 approval is the Army’s Land 400 Phase 3 Infantry Fighting Vehicle program, worth AU$18-$27 bn.
Up to 450 new IFVs — either Hanwha Defense’s AS21 Redback or Rheinmetall’s Lynx KF41 — are to replace the Army’s Vietnam-era M113 armored personnel carriers. However, both bidders have been told they must submit their respective bids based on an order of 300 vehicles, with options for three tranches of 50 vehicles each.
However, Defence Department officials have denied that vehicle quantity decrease is due to the need to fund Redspice, saying a government decision on Land 400 is yet to be made.
Still, a shortfall in funding remains in the forward estimates period. At least some of this funding shortfall will come from three existing ASD projects, which will now be subsumed under Redspice.
“None of [the three ASD projects] have been canceled. There was already funding in the IIP, and I’ll speak about them broadly because two of them in particular are highly classified,” Noble said at the Senate hearing. “One is for building our capability in signals intelligence mission systems; another is for offensive cyber; and one is for components of the CESAR [Cyber Enhanced Situational Awareness and Response] program.”
“The programs were funded in the IIP, but have now moved forward in time [and] are, in some respects, being subsumed and added [to Redspice]. Let’s take offensive cyber for example: We might have been on a pathway to deliver an offensive cyber capability, and now what Redspice is enabling is that, while we are on that pathway, we would do it sooner and have more money and capacity to do three times as much as what we were already,” she added.
No longer ‘business as usual’
Fergus Hanson, director of the International Cyber Policy Centre at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, said Redspice is critical because of the massive increase in the Australian population’s digital footprint over the last decade.
“This has created major opportunities for both offense and defense, and there’s just no way a ‘business as usual’ approach could keep pace with the rate of change that we have in terms of digital uptake,” he told Defense News.
Hanson pointed to Australia’s membership in the intelligence-sharing alliance Five Eyes as also driving the financial investment.
“The urgency is partly geopolitical and partly just the pace of change in the digital world,” he said. “I don’t think there’s any world in which [Australia] can get close to the U.S. in cyber capability, but I think to remain a meaningful contributor in our areas of specialization is the ambition.”
He also cited the country’s deteriorating relationship with regional neighbor China, which has implemented trade sanctions against Australia, and the strategic defense agreement AUKUS, which will see Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States work together on nuclear-powered submarine technology.
“We used to believe that we didn’t have to choose between our largest trading partner and our most important ally, but with AUKUS we well and truly chose,” Hanson said. “China took a strategy of trying to push us to our limit and seeing if they could break us, and they ended up pushing us from one side to the other, so that to me adds up to Redspice.” (Source: Defense News)
07 Nov 22. HII Announces Mentor-Protege JV with Markesman Group to Accelerate Next-Gen Cybersecurity Solutions. HII (NYSE: HII) announced today the formation of Tuple, a mentor-protégé joint venture with Markesman Group. Together, HII and Markesman form a unified team to accelerate next-generation cybersecurity solutions for the defense marketplace.
Tuple was formed under the U.S. Small Business Administration mentor-protégé program, which allows eligible small businesses to gain capacity and win government contracts by partnering with more experienced government contractors like HII, which serve as mentors.
The Tuple joint venture will leverage HII’s information warfare domain and Markesman Group’s unique cyber operations expertise to support the Department of Defense’s cyber mission as it pertains to force transformation and multi-domain operations. Combined capability areas include offensive and defensive cyber operations; vulnerability analysis and risk assessment; cloud and software development; and enterprise IT operations, architecture and engineering support.
“HII and Markesman will accelerate the development and deployment of cyber capabilities for operations and systems critical to national security,” said Grant Hagen, president of the Cyber, Electronic Warfare and Space business group in HII’s Mission Technologies division. “This joint venture will combine our unique mix of skills and domain expertise to support warfighters where and when they need it.”
“By creating the Tuple joint venture, our two companies are able to bring experts together to fast-track new concepts, prototype them and enable a path to faster operational execution while optimizing mission outcomes,” said Alex Wang, chief operating officer and co-founder of Markesman Group. (Source: ASD Network)
07 Nov 22. IAI Brings High-Performance Electronic Intelligence to the Tactical Arena.
- Unveiling TacSense Compact ESM System
Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) has unveiled its latest Tactical Electronic Intelligence (ESM) system: TacSense (ELL-8395). TacSense delivers unprecedented ESM performance in a compact form factor with minimal SWaP (size, weight and power).
This allows TacSense to be deployed from a wide range of platforms including tactical ground vehicles and small UAVs. In addition, a manpack configuration enables the system to be easily carried on foot by one person, even in the most difficult terrain. The system’s small size and weight also facilitate highly discreet, camouflaged installation at fixed locations.
TacSense is designed to provide high-performance ESM in tactical scenarios, such as ground force maneuvers, discreet operation from fixed installations, and operation from aerial platforms that are limited in their capacity to contain large sensors.
Tactical forces are increasingly exposed to electronic threats in the modern battlefield. Threats include tactical radars in use by commando and guerilla units, ground-based and airborne radars for search and targeting, and other electromagnetic activity such as communications and radar jamming. Therefore, it is imperative to provide forces with the means to detect hostile electromagnetic activity – taking the force from “electronic blindness” to full electronic awareness, and thereby ensuring their safety and mission success.
Capitalizing on IAI-ELTA’s heritage in the design and development of advanced radar and ESM technologies, TacSense employs the latest techniques to intercept, classify, track and analyze radars, including the latest Low Probability of Intercept (LPI) emitters. Covering the entire radar frequency spectrum, TacSense provides powerful, comprehensive ESM capabilities, affording operators a real-time understanding of hostile radars that are threatening them with surveillance and targeting. Moreover, it detects forces beyond visual range, and even under deep cover, where radar and EO/IR systems are unable to penetrate.
TacSense has been selected for use by a first customer, and has been contracted for delivery of several tens of operational systems.
Adi Dulberg, VP & General Manager, IAI/ELTA Intelligence, Comms & EW Division, said: “With the ever-increasing proliferation of radar technology in the tactical arena, whether for defensive purposes or targeting, ESM is gaining critical importance in contending with the electronic threats. With TacSense, we are now able to answer the need for a compact and cost-effective ESM system with superb performance. The system can be easily deployed by mobile forces, and its size and cost make it equally effective for protecting high-value fixed installations”.
(Source: ASD Network)
04 Nov 22. Europe’s first 5G testbed for defence, located in Latvia, receives new 5G networks from Nokia and Ericsson to enable defence innovations testing. Europe’s first 5G defence testbed, located in Latvia, has been supplemented by two new stand-alone 5G networks, built by Nokia and Ericsson. This will make it possible to test defence innovations on a variety of networks.
The testbed, originally launched by telecommunications innovator LMT in collaboration with the Latvian National Armed Forces and Ministry of Defence, has been in operation since November of 2020. It has become a favoured testing ground for defence innovation thanks to the 5G capabilities, and a combination of key geographic factors, including the proximity to a defence training area, military camp, air force base, and coastline. The site is open to NATO allies to jointly develop, test, and demonstrate 5G application in the defence industry.
“5G networks promise a wide range of technological data delivery opportunities, which can significantly impact many industries, including the civil and defence sectors. To make them a reality, a strong collaboration must be established between 5G network infrastructure providers, mobile operators, user equipment manufacturers, use case developers, and end clients. We are thrilled that we are able to host all of the above in the development of Latvia’s 5G military testbed. We are equally thrilled to have the world’s leading 5G network infrastructure providers – Nokia and Ericsson – participate in our R&D activities.” – Armands Meirāns, Innovation Lead at LMT.
The unique combination of factors at the Ādaži testbed makes it possible to test a wide variety of next-generation defence applications. It has been the site of multinational force training, experiments, and demonstrations, including with NATO, the US Department of Defence, the European Defence Fund, and the European Defence Industrial Development Programme (EDIDP). Previous demonstrations include testing mission management platforms, unmanned terrestrial vehicles, and more.
The implementation of two additional stand-alone 5G networks is the next step in developing the functionality of the testbed. This will allow for the centralised testing of relevant innovations on various networks, confirming the compatibility of networks and accelerating field implementation. “5G has a key role to play in accelerating the digital transformation of the defence industry and in driving operational leadership for armed forces. Implementing foundational 5G technology in Latvia’s world class testbed will help fast-track military innovations by testing them in this real-world, collaborative environment. We are delighted to support LMT in this initiative with our private 5G stand-alone network to advance next-generation defence applications.” – Philippe Agard, Head of Nokia’s Defence Business.
Applications that are slated for testing include remote AR/VR defence personnel training, command and control, and various maintenance activities with remote specialist participation.
“5G is a critical and versatile civil technology that is expanding into the defence market as increased data speed, reduced latency, and improved reliability of data transfer opens for major innovations and new operational capabilities in the defence space compared to existing technologies. Together with LMT we look forward to contributing to these testbeds in Latvia with our innovation capabilities and our technology expertise in 5G networks,” says Manuel Ruiz, Head of Mission Critical Networks at Ericsson.
With the implementation of these two new stand-alone networks, the Ādaži testbed reinforces its position as Europe’s leading 5G testbed for defence applications. It has taken part in various European R&D projects, including iMUGS, Sparta, 5G COMPAD, FAMOUS2, Comp4Drones, 5G Routes, and more. (Source: www.joint-forces.com)
03 Nov 22. Rohde & Schwarz Starts Delivery of Innovative Air-liftable ATC Radio System for Skyguide.
- Rohde & Schwarz has successfully completed acceptance tests for Switzerland’s first Mobile Air Traffic Control Radio System ( M.A.R.S. ) project.
Operational air traffic control (ATC) is paramount, especially in areas hit by disaster or other adverse impacts on critical infrastructure. Rohde & Schwarz mobile ATC shelters enable air navigation service providers (ANSP) to get safe air traffic operational in minimal time.
Rohde & Schwarz has recently, in close collaboration with Skyguide, developed and delivered a customized mobile ATC shelter as part of the the Mobile ATC Radio System (M.A.R.S.) project. The shelter includes a complete CERTIUM® RADIOS system, as well as a unique 24 volt on-board battery system that enables the shelter to operate without power for three hours. Its lightweight design allows deployment either by helicopter or small truck with forklift, making it ideal for quick reaction to adverse conditions. A diesel-powered generator can be deployed in the second phase to ensure longer operation. Remote controlled by the R&S®RCMS II umbrella software solution, engineering personnel can monitor these radios from one or more locations.
“We expected a professional solution from Rohde & Schwarz and we are very pleased with the result,” says Stephan Meister, Skyguide’s Head of Communication, Navigation and Surveillance. “The improvements Rohde & Schwarz brought in make a significant contribution to usability and flexibility and represent considerable added value for us.”
Marius Münstermann, Vice President ATC at Rohde & Schwarz added: “We are happy to receive such feedback on this excellent solution from our long-term partner. As a solution that is air/land transportable, ruggedized and rapidly deployable by a small team, this shelter reflects our excellent reputation worldwide as a technology leader in ATC. Mobile shelters in various configurations are an ideal backup in case of ATC infrastructure being affected by natural disaster, attacks or other failures.”
“Working to a tight project schedule, our fully qualified teams from Bern, Munich and Teisnach once again executed fast integration and project handling on time and on budget,” concludes Heinz Scholl, Managing Director of Roschi Rohde & Schwarz AG. “With only 10 months for design, integration, testing and delivery of the system, this is a truly admirable feat and I’m immensely proud of their efforts.”
Rohde & Schwarz mobile ATC shelters are designed to get safe air traffic operations up and running in minimal time for disaster relief, ad hoc deployments and special events and are equipped with CERTIUM®, an advanced ATC communications suite. The R&S® RCMS II management software, CERTIUM® RADIOS and CERTIUM® VCS are cornerstones of this one-stop-shop portfolio. (Source: ASD Network)
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Spectra Group Plc
Spectra Group (UK) Ltd, internationally renowned award-winning information security and communications specialist with a proven record of accomplishment.
Spectra is a dynamic, agile and security-accredited organisation that offers secure Hosted and Managed Solutions and Cyber Advisory Services with a track record of delivering on time, to spec and on budget.
With over 15 years of experience in delivering solutions for governments around the globe, elite militaries and private enterprises of all sizes, Spectra’s platinum and gold-level partnerships with third-party vendors ensure the supply of best value leading-edge technology.
Spectra was awarded the prestigious Queen’s Award for Enterprise (Innovation) in 2019 for SlingShot.
In November 2017, Spectra Group (UK) Ltd announced its listing as a Top 100 Government SME Supplier by the UK Crown Commercial Services.
Spectra’s CEO, Simon Davies, was awarded 2017 Businessman of the Year by Battlespace magazine.
Founded in 2002, the Company is based in Hereford, UK and holds ISO 9001:2015, ISO 27001:2013 and Cyber Essentials Plus accreditation.
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