The words ‘mission critical’ are often overused but, in this case, they are precisely accurate when describing the importance of AV technology in defence. The analysis of data – increasingly, video-based information from a wide range of sensors and sources – that is distributed and displayed via AV systems in a command and control operations centre or on the battlefield is fundamental to making informed military decisions.
As Robert A. Ventresca, vice-president of marketing, Thinklogical puts it, being ‘military grade’ is not just a marketing slogan, “it’s a very specific set of requirements that need to be met to sell and successfully deliver to this sector.”
After a decade of relative stagnant (but still exorbitant) military funding by nations, spend is on the up. It’s led out of the US where $649 billion was spent in 2018, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, a rise of 4.6 per cent on 2017. The second-largest spender was China, which increased its military budget by five per cent, to $250 billion.
Defence spending
Analysis from Jane’s Defence Budgets indicates that European defence spending is set to hit $300 billion by 2021, having languished between $25 and $275 billion since 2005. Several countries including Germany (up 11 per cent) and Sweden (nine per cent) are significantly upping their budgets. The UK spent over $51.6 billion in 2018, up from $49.2 billion in 2017, according to Statista.
Analysis from Jane’s Defence Budgets indicates that European defence spending is set to hit $300 billion by 2021, having languished between $25 and $275 billion since 2005. Several countries including Germany (up 11 per cent) and Sweden (nine per cent) are significantly upping their budgets. The UK spent over $51.6 billion in 2018, up from $49.2 billion in 2017, according to Statista.
AV solutions have never been in more demand. AV is needed for communication and collaboration: remote working, meeting rooms, operation centres, conference rooms, classrooms to transfer information.
“The military market is starting to understand that a professional AV solution is a means to get the latest technology more affordably than investing billions on a bespoke solution which can take considerable time before it’s ready,” says Mark Rushton, business development director, VITEC. “They’re eager to use customisable, off-the-shelf solutions.”
Due to the dramatic increase in video-rich data, AV products that efficiently transport and distribute high-res video, audio, and related signal types such as KVM are in demand. Thinklogical points to products such as high-performance matrix switches and modular KVM extenders as enabling reliable and accurate distribution of computer I/O signal formats.
“As government agencies migrate to 4K resolutions, this adds additional bandwidth demands on the AV infrastructure, and many organisations are installing fibre optics to handle these requirements,” says Ventresca. “Fibre has the additional benefit of not emanating electrical signals – an important consideration when dealing with confidential or classified data in the defence and intelligence sector.”
As the difference between AV and IT diminishes there’s rising demand for solutions that are on the network.
“Solutions have to be IT friendly and quickly deployed,” says Jeremy Button, director of Federal sales at Crestron. “Three years ago custom programming was necessary and technology ran on sub-nets. That’s changing now as departments want to utilise the network they already own.”
Cloud solutions are also on the rise, evidenced by the Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure (JEDI), a $10 billion contract the US Department of Defense awarded to Microsoft Azure.
“Advances in technology, such as smaller, higher-speed cameras with higher frame rates, means high-quality content moves with more frequency over well-secured lines,” says Bryan Carpenter, senior sales consultant, Bittree (which makes AV and data patching products). “People can edit onboard aircraft carriers. These advances lead to a demand for smaller, faster and better quality products.”
Bittree recently supplied a 12G single-link video patching system to NASA to manage and process imagery coming back from the Mars Lander. The video transmits from space over an RF signal, is captured in Alabama at the NASA Broadcast Center where content is edited and pushed through the broadcast infrastructure, where Bittree’s patchbays manage and distribute the content.
“Redundancy is important in government and defence AV-related projects for data and storage protection,” says Carpenter. “Archiving is a necessity. We did a big job with the Library of Congress in DC that includes a wealth of Bittree patching. Our products cleanly digitise and reliably archive all their legacy and new content, from copyright papers to books and movies.”
Stringent data security
There’s one key requirement for AV solutions used in military/defence/ government versus those in other verticals – the security of the product.
There’s one key requirement for AV solutions used in military/defence/ government versus those in other verticals – the security of the product.
“There are many routine use cases in government where unclassified information is distributed through AV systems in locations such as conference rooms and most commercial AV products can support these general requirements,” Ventresca says. “But in defence applications where classified information is involved, commercial AV systems fall far short of meeting demanding security requirements to ensure data integrity and separation of the various classified data streams.”
This limits the number of providers. “Manufacturers are required to invest a lot of resources in certifications, and not all companies are able or willing to do that,” says Button. “No matter how robust your solution, if it has been made in China, it will not be considered by the government.”
Physical standards such as the US defence standard MIL-STD and STANdardization AGreements (STANAG) implemented by NATO, are used to achieve objectives such as continued operation when exposed to electromagnetic interference.
The Motion Imagery Standards Board (MISB), focuses on ensuring the interoperability, integrity and quality of Motion Imagery, associated metadata and audio. Further security guidelines aim to ‘lock down’ information systems that might otherwise be vulnerable to cyberattack.
“Governments create specialised information assurance (IA) policies for managing classified data through AV systems,” says Ventresca. “These policies require the use of AV products that have been tested to ensure compliance with strict IA security standards, adding another layer of complexity to the AV infrastructure typically not seen in the commercial marketplace.”
With every product they come across, organisations in this vertical will push through their own security invasion investigation techniques, asking: Is it vulnerable to attack? How is it deployed? Is it ITAR (International Traffic in Arms Regulations)-relevant? Will it enable encryption? Will it support people in the field and those who work on legacy platforms?
“This includes software upgrades,” says Rushton. “Where other verticals are typically eager to upgrade to the latest and greatest version, defence requires solutions that continue to be supported as the product evolves. They have to be robust and environmentally reliable. The military needs to be operational 24/7, which is very much like the broadcast market, but engineered to withstand far harsher environments. Video appliances have to be reliable no matter the condition – dust, wind, water, or vibration.”
Complex procurement
The defence procurement process can suffer from the bloat of external analysts and limited opportunities for demonstrations. Military programmes are normally bid on and secured by very large specialist military integrators and many of these either directly deliver the AV and projection aspects of the requirements or they outsource working with specialist partners.
The defence procurement process can suffer from the bloat of external analysts and limited opportunities for demonstrations. Military programmes are normally bid on and secured by very large specialist military integrators and many of these either directly deliver the AV and projection aspects of the requirements or they outsource working with specialist partners.
“The business opportunities can be large but can also be very sporadic based on waiting for the next major programmes to be released,” says John Mould, commercial development manager at Antycip Simulation. “The solutions sought for these requirements tend to be higher end with a necessity for multiple years of future support.”
From the commencement of bidding to when the award is granted the process is often long and drawn-out.
“Government and defence create very detailed specifications which must be quoted before budgets are approved and released,” says Carpenter. “Certain projects that are written aren’t always released due to political and/or economic situations and this leads to lengthy delays – up to several years. It’s always been that way, and isn’t likely to change.”
Terminology around this process in the US is called the Systems Award Management (SAM). European departments operate a similar system. “If a bid is over a certain amount, the branches are forced to get three bids,” says Carpenter. “If it’s under, they can cut it out of their budgets. Greenfield sites and total rebuilds are often the most expensive and longest to close.
“The vendor also has to be qualified for government work. An enormous amount of paperwork and an approval process is involved, which makes it easier for them to specify a vendor’s equipment. Once you are in their system, it’s easier to win repeat projects.”
Button says that governments are only allowed to work with contract dealers who in turn reach out to resellers or dealers. “It’s less efficient, but it’s the way the procurement process works here. It’s a means to put out a large project with millions of dollars that can be bonded and secured.”
Tech trends
Historically, the reconnaissance and defence market got its start with the ability to photograph, which moved into video when it became an option. Today, these environments demand realtime, high-quality live video to make life-changing decisions instantly.
Historically, the reconnaissance and defence market got its start with the ability to photograph, which moved into video when it became an option. Today, these environments demand realtime, high-quality live video to make life-changing decisions instantly.
“In the future, they’ll also require high-def imagery,” says Rushton. “Currently they’re looking at multiple streams of the same imagery. Their content stream may include an infrared stream of the same picture in colour, alongside another form of sensor signal. As far as we’re concerned, a signal coming from a sensor is a video regardless of whether it’s infrared, spectral analysis, or electronic optics.”
Simulation game
The industry must continue to evolve and modernise, but the means to do so are far from unlimited. One key investment is in people, and the defence industry must find affordable but effective means to train staff. Immersive display technologies are essential.
The industry must continue to evolve and modernise, but the means to do so are far from unlimited. One key investment is in people, and the defence industry must find affordable but effective means to train staff. Immersive display technologies are essential.
“Demand isn’t slowing but it is becoming less predictable,” says Mould. “We often experience delays for large procurements to be finalised.”
Military AV programs tend to require longevity from the products supplied. That increasingly counts against digital projectors with traditional lamp based light sources.
“Solid-state LED and laser-based projection hardware are in demand but there are still requirements for lamp-based projectors mainly for programmes that cannot afford the upfront investment needed for solid-state alternatives,” says Mould.
“Automatic calibration of multi-channel projection arrays is now a mainstream requirement whereas, in the past, hands-on digital correction would have been acceptable. Higher resolution and higher frame rates continue to improve the fidelity and experience of virtual environments.”
120fps was seen as the higher end capability for flight simulators, but last year the first commercially available projection hardware delivering 240fps was demonstrated at I/ITSEC, one of the largest military events of its kind.
Another change noted by Antycip is that a recent ‘high profile US military program’ selected bezel-less videowall technology over traditional projection-based hardware to address the visuals required for a Joint Fires Trainer. This may set a precedent for programmes with similar needs in future.
Advances in direct LED and curved display configurations will offer a more immersive field of vision. “The price/performance is not there yet but we believe it’s only a matter of time,” says Mould. “Increased innovation will shift the types of display hardware normally secured for vehicle and JTAC (Joint Terminal Attack Controllers) simulators.”
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