INVISIO – TACTICAL COMMUNICATIONS FOR THE CAF
BY JAMES CARELESS
The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) operate in a wide range of difficult environmental conditions, including the frigid Canadian Arctic. To ensure that their soldiers can communicate at all times, the CAF relies on rugged hearing protection headsets made by INVISIO.
Specifically, the CAF uses the INVISIO T7 headset and the INVISIO V60 tri-com control unit. The INVISIO T7 is a submersible, rugged and lightweight hearing protection headset that provides wearers with 28 dB SNR (Signal-to-Noise Ratio) hearing protection, wide area situational awareness, and intelligible communications in all environments. It weighs just 347 grams, has been certified to the MIL-STD-810G standard, and is available in three interchangeable variants: Interchangeable headband, neckband, and helmet mount versions.
Meanwhile, the wearable INVISIO V60 comes with three COM ports and four Push-to-Talk (PTT) buttons. It connects seamlessly to multiple net radios, smartphones, headsets (tactical, covert and commercial) and intercom systems for land, sea and air vehicles. The V60 is powered from the connected comms device, is submersible to 20 metres, and MIL-STD-810G and MIL-STD-461F compliant.
Sébastien Martel-Laverdière is Canada Country Manager for INVISIO and Racal. “Our goal is to provide users the best audio possible in tactical and loud environments,” he told CDR. “What makes INVISIO’s products stand out in these environments is the high quality of the processing chips in our durable yet flexible cabling. These chips support interoperability between various vendors’ communications systems, which saves our users money in setup time and equipment costs.”
THE POWER OF SOFTWARE CONTROL
The move to software-controlled ‘digital’ systems is a major trend in the audio industry, and INVISIO is at the forefront of this trend. By being software-based, INVISIO headsets will be able to use their ‘Active Noise Reduction’ (ANR) capabilities to detect if they are connected either to digital or analog communications systems, without any intervention by the wearer.
“Say a soldier is in the back of a loud LAV,” said Martel-Laverdière. “Using ANR, they can switch their headset to digital mode while plugged into a computer or switch it to analog mode when their headset is plugged into their PTT. Being software-controlled, the headset can adapt to both digital and analog situations and bridge the gap between them. That’s where we are going with INVISIO’s technology.”
BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN MOUNTED
AND DISMOUNTED SYSTEMS
Today’s ‘dismounted’ (mobile) soldiers all have their own communications systems. When they then climb into a LAV or other military vehicle and become ‘mounted’, connecting into the vehicle’s communications system can be a time-consuming problem.
To solve this, INVISIO has developed a ‘Victory Cable’ that the soldier carries with them at all times. “The soldier simply plugs the Victory Cable into their V60 at one end, and into the vehicle’s COMMS system at the other,” Martel-Laverdière said. “It takes seconds to make the connection. There’s no need to remove their helmets to switch headsets or anything like that. And when the soldier is ready to dismount and leave the LAV, they just unplug the Victory Cable, put it in their pocket, and go.”
SUPPORTING NATO IN LATVIA
INVISIO has been doing its part to support the Canada-led NATO Multinational Brigade Latvia, which is part of Operation REASSURANCE. “We’ve been helping out by providing connectivity between soldier-worn INVISIO V60 II tri-com control units and Griffon helicopters,”
said Martel-Laverdière. “Again, thanks to our smart cables with chips embedded in them, we have made it easy to connect the V60s to these helicopters’ intercom systems using INVISIO TP106 IntelliCables. This connection allows the soldiers and back crew to speak with the pilot easily, and then disconnect fast and revert to their personal radio systems when they dismount. We have a similar IntelliCable that provides this kind of connection.”
INCREASED DND SPENDING
& ReARM EUROPE
The INVISIO Group is headquartered in Europe with operations in Canada and other allied nations. As such, it is ideally suited to help fulfill the Department of National Defence’s (DND) needs as it increases spending in Canada. INVISIO is also a natural participant in the European Commission’s ReArm Europe program, which seeks to strengthen the continent’s defences against an expansionist Russia.
“We see many opportunities for INVISIO in Canada and Europe in these circumstances,”
Martel-Laverdière told CDR. “We are hoping to use them to strengthen not just our sales in both markets, but to generate more business for our Canadian supply chain and the partners here that help us support the CAF and our NATO allies.” The fact that INVISIO has already proven its equipment’s ruggedness up North in partnership with the CAF is timely given the current global security situation. The Arctic and other harsh environments are key areas of military concern going forward, and the CAF and Canada’s NATO allies need tough, battle-ready technology to defend all of us against hostile players.
GOING WIRELESS
INVISIO has built its success on rugged wired communications systems. Now the company is expanding into wireless solutions with its new INVISIO Link product. INVISIO LINK provides wireless access to up to 16 INVISIO intercom system users by adding body worn dongles and a base station to the equipment setup. Two more new products — the INVISIO Intercom Switch and the INVISIO Intercom Loudspeaker — allow this intercom system to connect to larger user groups.
“With INVISIO Link, a dismounted soldier will be able to communicate with nearby vehicles without plugging in cables,” said Martel-Laverdière. “This will allow everyone involved to work as a team and even connect to the higher-powered radio within a vehicle to hear and send voice messages wirelessly.”
This latest advance aligns with INVISIO’s mission to best support its military clients’ communications in as many ways as it can. “I see us as a system integrator and problem solver,” Martel-Laverdière said. “If our clients need a special cable or technical solution to their communications problems, we are here to help. This is why we are constantly pursuing improvements, such as adding ANR to our hubs and other equipment. INVISIO is dedicated to making their lives better and safer.”
James Careless is CDR’s Ottawa Bureau Chief
