Located at QinetiQ's Cody Technology Park site in Farnborough, UK, The Portal is a state-of-the-art center for customers to explore implications of proposed network-enabled systems in a real time, dynamic environment using the latest in modeling, simulation, analysis and experimentation tools.

ASTi's Telestra 4 system will enable voice communications for man-in-the-loop simulation capability supporting command and control experiments and demonstrations.

"Our latest T4 architecture and the highly flexible network-based audio distribution infrastructure is an exceptionally good fit for The Portal, allowing rapid reconfiguration of assets as required for each exercise spiral," said ASTi's Neil Waterman.

The new ASTi installation at The Portal provides capability for 78 operators, which may be used along side pre-existing QinetiQ ASTi DACS equipment to support a total of 98 operators from the site.

The ASTi team was able to demonstrate seamless interoperation between three generations of ASTi equipment, the latest T4, the low-cost single-seat PC'ver Windows software radio, and the legacy DACS systems.

The Portal is linked via high-speed networks to other sites within the UK and to distributed locations in the United States and Australia, the majority of which have existing ASTi communication systems.

• Fort Campbell, 101st Airborne Division
• Fort Stewart, 3rd Infantry Division
• Fort Drum, 10th Mountain Division

The ASTi systems provide the Army with the capability to route voice traffic between live combat net radios operating in the maneuver field and soldiers operating ASTi simulated radio workstations in the BCTCs. The ASTi system comprises a series of ASTi Synapse Radio-IP bridges and Synapse Workstations connected to an IP network.

The ASTi equipment installed at each site provides inter-communication bridging between as many as 16 live SINCGARS frequency-hopping radio nets and 64 battlestaff operators using simulated radio nets. ASTi communications stations connect to the BCTC IP network infrastructure, realizing elegant digital voice distribution to facilities including: constructive simulation workstations, after action review auditorium, live and virtual tactical operations centers, tech control center and the live radio comms room.

Additional simulated radio channels are available for battlestaff point-to-point or workgroup communications. If needed, more links can be established with Synapse nodes connected to the wide area network.

The Army also installed an ASTi Telestra Remote Management Systems (RMS) at the XVIII Airborne sites. With Telestra RMS and a standard web browser, system administrators can monitor and manage local and networked ASTi resources (equipment, software, and models), ranging from stand-alone to multi-site, exercise-wide configurations.

ASTi provided a complete customer support package to the Army including: on-site installation and testing services, on-site training courses for system administrators and battlestaff instructors, and a support contract for ongoing phone and email assistance.

ASTi has been delivering Synapse live-to-virtual communications systems since 1999.

The Secure DACS Upgrade Kit requires minor hardware and software updates to existing 2U DACS systems, and provides a read-only compact flash drive with no operating system and a single boot process running ASTi's Model Builder software. During operation, Secure DACS platforms are indistinguishable from standard systems. Unlike the standard DACS, however, model development and file management are handled offline using the customer's PC platform.

The upgrade kit's most valuable benefit is that it allows TBE the continued use of their existing DACS platforms (some of which were shipped in 1999), while meeting the latest security requirements.

The ASTi Synapse installation at the High Range Training Area (HRTA) near Townsville, Queensland connected voice communications from combat aircraft and PRC-117 field radios to wide-area IP networks—including the U.S. Joint Training and Experimentation Network (JTEN) and Australia's Defence Training and Experimentation Network (DTEN)—for distribution to virtual and constructive simulations equipped with ASTi communications systems. These simulation facilities include:

• F/A-18 Simulator, Hornet Aircrew Training System, Royal Australian Air Force, Williamtown, NSW
• AC-130U Simulator, Aircrew Maintenance Training Device and Testbed, 19th Special Operations Squadron, Hurlburt Field, FL
• Joint Semiautomated Forces, Virtual Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (V-UAV), Ralph Honner Simulation Center, Lavarack Barracks, Townsville, Queensland
• A-10 Virtual/Constructive Simulation, Joint Warfighting Center (JWFC), Suffolk, VA

The ADSO also purchased Australia-based Redsim's DIS Link Monitor software for use in the exercise. DIS Link Monitor is a powerful utility providing network communications monitoring, analysis and packet logging capabilities. In training events like Talisman Sabre, DIS Link Monitor's packet logger feature is used to record and replay ASTi radio traffic from live, virtual and constructive sources for after-action review.

ASTi provided a complete customer support package for the event, including: pre-event engineering consultation, on-site installation and testing services at HRTA, and remote phone/email help-desk services during the event.

According to the Australian Deparment of Defence, Talisman Sabre 2007 included approximately: 20 ships, 25 aircraft and 7,500 personnel from Australia and 10 ships, 100 aircraft and 20,000 personnel from the U.S.

For more information about Talisman Sabre 2007, please see:
Australian DoD: "Exercise Talisman Saber"
USJFCOM: "U.S. Joint Forces Command supports Exercise Talisman Saber 2007"

The MAGTF initially borrowed an ASTi Synapse Radio Bridge system from the U.S. Joint Forces Command (USJFCOM) for participation in a series of Joint National Training Capabilities (JNTC) exercises. The Marines at MAGTF reported that the ASTi live radio over IP was a "wild success", and subsequently decided to procure their own ASTi system. Twenty-nine Palms MCB was the first Marine live-fire range to be instrumented for integration into live-virtual-constructive (LVC) training exercises, and has received validation to be a persistent JNTC site.

A MAGTF is a self-sustaining, mission-specific force comprised of elements including: command, ground combat, aviation combat and combat service support. The MAGTF is designed for extreme flexibility, and is able to respond quickly to a wide range of security, crisis response, disaster relief, and humanitarian assistance missions.

For more information, please see:
National Defense Magazine - "Joint-Service Needs Shape Marine Training Programs"
GlobalSecurity.org - Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF)

ASTi delivered a total of 14 Synapse platforms and one Telestra Remote Management System (RMS) to service the Brigade Command Team (BCT) Reconfigurable Tactical Operations Center (RTOC) and Battalion 1 & 2 RTOCs located in adjacent buildings.

Two Synapse Radio-to-Network bridges allow the BCTC to bring live voice traffic from up to 16 real SINCGARS radios onto the simulation network for interaction with multiple staff operators. Twelve (12) Synapse Workstation systems provide up to 84 virtual radio operator positions, as well as 12 simulated SINCGARS radio stations. The Telestra RMS platform allows system administrators to monitor, configure and control all the BCTC Synapse systems from any web browser on the network.

The XVIII Airborne Corps is the Army's largest warfighting organization, and its BCTC "conducts formal courses of instruction to enhance staff interoperability proficiency within a digital TOC."¹ ASTi provided on-site installation, testing and training over two weeks as part of a full customer support package.

• U.S. Navy Spotlight
• Introducing the Telestra 4 Product Suite
• ASTi Security Initiatives
• FAA Level D Integrated Audio Solution
• Announcing HLA for MBV
• Latest PC’ver Developments
• I/ITSEC Floorplan

Four (4) Telestra MBV systems will deliver aircraft audio and simulated radio communications to 12 JSF cockpit simulators. Environmental audio and aural cues to be modeled include: jet engine and airflow noise, test tones, weapon and threat sounds, navigation aids, the aircraft's Integrated Caution Advisory and Warning System (ICAWS) and more. ASTi's high-fidelity, simulated radio environment will support a variety of modes, including: HF, VHF, UHF, AM/FM, tactical data link (TDL), Tactical Digital Information Link (TADIL), and SATCOM.

Two (2) additional Telestra platforms will provide radio and intercom communications to exercise directors, instructors and operators in the observation and control areas of the MTS facility. This allows exercise administrators to follow training events in real time, and interact with pilots in the simulated cockpits as required.

To support MTS' security requirements, each of the aforementioned Telestra systems operates within a diskless architecture; none of them have hard disk drives. These diskless computers receive their configuration, model information, and other operational instructions over the network from a single, centralized Telestra platform (the "Diskless Server"). This architecture allows administrators to easily transition between different exercise setups and levels of security.

The remaining Telestra platform will be used in the future as the MTS further expands its capabilities. MTS also purchased software licenses for ASTi's Windows-based PC'ver radio/intercom program and Radio Diagnostic Tool, which provides DIS network radio analysis and troubleshooting.

This latest shipment follows the initial installation of Telestra MBV systems at the MTS in June, 2005.

Each PMATS trainer comprises a simulated Predator Ground Control Station (GCS) with pilot, sensor operator, multi-function workstation (MFW) operator positions, and an Instructor Station with two instructor positions. The Brief/Debrief system consists of a single instructor operator position and external speaker positions.

One interesting aspect of the Predator communications system solved by ASTi's Telestra platform is the required simulation of the GCS operator's remote use of an onboard aircraft radio. The GCS connects to the Predator radio via satellite link-up, which introduces delays in the transmission and reception of audio. The Predator can then relay voice and data from the satellite link to local assets using its ARC-210 multi-mode radio. Telestra's SATCOM server provides instructor-settable radio delays that mimic those found in real-world satellite communications. This, along with MBV's built-in, extremely-accurate modeling of the complex ARC-210 radio head, provides a truly realistic training environment.

These new Apache Longbow trainers will receive Telestra Model Builder Visual systems providing aural cueing and simulated communications for the complete spectrum of training and maintenance activities. Audio simulation capabilities include: rotors, engines, auxiliary power units, weather effects, crash sounds, external weapons, and malfunction sounds. Radios such as the ARC-201 and ARC-210 will be modeled in multiple trainers, and the Japanese JARC-F210 and unique Japanese secure voice system requirements will be integrated into the trainer destined for that country.

ASTi has been delivering Apache Longbow systems to Boeing since 1999.