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Fortress Technologies, a provider of secure wireless solutions, has announced it will support the development and delivery of a prototype mobile ad hoc wireless network for deployment in the wireless tactical battlespace.
Under the $1.4 million grant program titled "Secure, Robust Tactical Wireless 'Mesh' Network," Fortress has teamed with the Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) Dam Neck – a component of the Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA), to facilitate delivery of the prototype protocol system, which includes a complete mesh network.
"'Meshing' provides a local area network  that enables direct connectivity between wireless devices and a centralized network," said Roger W. Kuhn Jr., Senior Project Engineer (Networks/IA), who will serve as the U.S. government trusted agent providing oversight to this project.
"This capability will better enable our military to transmit and receive voice, video, and data in a deployed environment. Additionally, it will provide converged networking support on the battlefield through resilient, high performance communications. This is a critical project for the future of the warfighter."
Issued by the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD), the grant is aimed at the development of 10 prototype secure wireless bridges with software modifications to support advanced meshing capabilities.
The project will use the Fortress Secure Wireless Bridge as the platform for prototype development. The Fortress Secure Wireless Bridge is an all-in-one network access device with built-in Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) 140-2 validated security. Fortress Secure Wireless Bridges are customized to work as self-contained networks combining the functions of a wireless access point, Ethernet switch, and security gateway in a form factor engineered specifically for harsh outdoor environments.
"NSWC Dam Neck's mission is to provide innovative capabilities by delivering force-level integrated and interoperable product solutions to the maritime, joint, special warfare, and information operation domains," said Janet Kumpu, President of Fortress. "Directly supporting this mission, the technical capability derived from this project will extend access of critical data to vehicles and people on the move, putting information into the hands of the warfighter on the battlefield. This grant, coupled with several other focused wireless programs, is enabling the Navy to satisfy their mission by leveraging Fortress based solutions.
Niladri Sekhar Nath is a contributing writer for TMCnet covering telecommunications, service providers and networking. To see more of his articles, please visit his columnist page.
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