17 Jun 02. Thales introduced its new PR4G product – PR4G F@stnet – at Eurosatory. Much more compact and lightweight than the former version (close to half its volume), PR4G F@stnet provides an ECCM rate 4 times greater than most of the radios available on the market. This new radio uses an ECCM 64 Kbits/s waveform operating with extremely fast frequency hopping (> 300 hops/s) providing high rate data transmissions even under highly jammed environment.
New services are available with PR4G F@stnet, such as voice/data multiplex. It is now possible for a troop leader to transmit orders urgently at any time when the operational situation requires it, while receiving simultaneously periodic tactical situation reports from the other units or his own soldiers. To achieve that, PR4G F@stnet includes a GPS (Global Positioning System).
Making extensive use of IP technologies (Internet Protocol), PR4G F@stnet includes all the functions required to implement the battlespace Tactical Internet:
– An Ethernet interface enabling the radio to be easily connected to a local network, or to a Command Post’s applications or to handheld display/messaging data terminals,
– An IP router which, when connected to a Tactical Internet, ensures data routing to the correct addressee wherever he is in the network, even when jammers are at work.
Giving access to those new services (messaging, situation awareness, etc) PR4G F@stnet is the ideal transmission equipment in any theatre of operation. PR4G F@stnet is perfectly adapted to C4ISR systems requirements, in particular: IP-wide end-to-end communication security, mobility, communication links maintained under any hostile circumstances and guaranteed message delivery.
“This radio is a further step towards the future standards of Software Radio. Indeed, PR4G F@stnet is already a programmable software radio, which integrates the technologies required to implement several waveforms,” underlined Xavier Lagrenade, Director Business Line Land at Thales Communications.
Available in manpack and vehicle-mounted versions, Thales’s PR4G F@snet is the essential link for the Tactical Internet.
In other news, Thales Industrial Services announced the award of a new NBC Reconnaissance project with the SUTI Contract in Finland, thanks to the partnership with Environics and Patria. Belonging to the Thales Group, specialized in the integration of nuclear, biological, chemical threat detection, identification and warning systems, Thales Industrial Services will provide to Finland the NBC Reconnaissance systems integrated to Patria armored vehicles.
Environics, belonging to the Finish Temet Group, is one of the main actors in the worldwide market of toxic gas detectors and analyzers. Patria will provide the equipment for the NBC protection of crew and vehicle. Thales Industrial Services will engineer and develop a full scale prototype vehicle, as well as deliver, for the series phase, processing and control systems integrating the on-board equipment. Finland is the 3rd European country to benefit from Thales’ experience in NBC systems, after France and Italy.
This project shows several innovations. One of these is the system integration of a mass spectrometer, which features top ranked performance, discrimination and accuracy. The system integration of the automated ground contamination sampling and detection device (vehicle on the move), will enable the NBC operators to access quasi immediate identification.
Thanks to these innovations, the NBC risk management Center will receive elaborated, fast, reliable reports. These mobile platforms will come along with the NBC warning network, which the Finnish MoD together with Environics envisage to implement on their sovereign territory.
With this project, Thales Industrial Services illustrates the modularity of its concept. The introduction of new solutions for chemical detection will be of interest for new Customers and should make Thales in better