LONDON, UK General Dynamics United Kingdom Limited and Bubblephone Ltd have demonstrated to senior MoD officials the innovative C-THRU network optimisation software running on the Bowman military communications network.
The C-THRU software plug-in overcomes many of the operational
obstacles and technical issues encountered with modern tactical
communications networks. Dropped into a network, C-THRU
establishes network connections and maintains them irrespective
of changes in the network environment. It does this by
constantly being aware of the network environment and
intelligently adapting
itself to keep open the best
connection. For example, if a wireless connection is lost due
to mountainous terrain, C-THRU will seamlessly failover to a
different network type or connection method. It also
prioritises traffic so that urgent communications always get
through.
Put simply, C-THRU will keep the connection open where
without it the connect ion would simply drop,
said Sean
Curtis-Ward, CEO of Bubblephone. This presents a huge
tactical advantage.
C-THRU also enables traffic to be prioritised over different network types according to pre-set rules; for example saving on costly satellite links for non-priority traffic. Also, by being network-, protocol- and operating system-agnostic, C-THRU can connect different networks—even those that were not designed to be compatible. This means military personnel from different coalition forces, using different networks that were once incompatible, can now communicate with each other.
The demonstration on green kit
was undertaken at the
EDGE™ UK demonstraion suite at General Dynamics
UK’s facility in South Wales. Three weeks earlier,
Bubblephone demonstrated to MoD officials the first integration
of C-THRU running on a test network as part of the final phase
of a MoD Centre for Defence Enterprise (CDE) project.
Following the CDE demonstration, Bubblephone’s engineers integrated C-THRU rapidly into a subset of the Bowman communications system—to prove that the plug-in technoogy works seamlessly.
The EDGE™ UK enables SMEs to gain a competitive edge in
rapidly developing their innovations into capability that can
be quickly fielded,
said Dr Jeremy Creasey, Technical
Director at General Dynamics UK. Since its last
demonstration, C-THRU has advanced its technology readiness
level. With the right commitment and backing, Bubblephone will
deliver a world-beating network technology to the MoD that will
give the UK a huge technological advantage in tactical military
communications. Most importantly, in the field, this will
translate into saving lives and cutting costs.
Bubblephone Ltd is a privately owned company based at the Innovation
Centre of the University of Sussex. It performs research and
development in the areas of digital networking and communications
technologies. Its lead technology C-THRU is a truly
transformational
networking technology. It enables networks
and applications that don’t currently talk to each other to
interoperate, whilst transforming the quality and reliability of
existing network connections. Bubblephone is currently seeking
additional investment to finalise C-THRU’s development so as
to realise its tactical an commercial potential.
bubblephone.com
General Dynamics United Kingdom Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD), is a leading player in the UK’s knowledge economy and industrial base. Established in the United Kingdom for over 40 years, it employs around 1,600 people at 10 UK and international facilities. A prime contractor and complex systems integrator, working in partnership with the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and other allies, growing key intellectual property, skills and capabilities in its UK research facilities and workforce, whilst harnessing world-leading technology.
General Dynamics UK led a key MoD Defence Technology Centre research consortium and, together with a growing C4I export programme, plays a central role manufacturing and developing technology to deliver network enabled capability and ISTAR in the battlespace. The Company is widely recognised as a leading contender to supply and integrate the next generation of Armoured Fighting Vehicles for the British Army. For further information visit generaldynamics.uk.com
General Dynamics, headquartered in Falls Church, Va., employs approximately 92,000 people worldwide. The company is a market leader in business aviation; land and expeditionary combat systems, armaments and munitions; shipbuilding and marine systems; and information systems and technologies. More information about General Dynamics is available online at gd.com.
The original EDGE® initiative, successfully developed in the
United States by General Dynamics, provides a physical and virtual
environment for collaboration projects between industry, academia
and the US government. The initiative has been adapted for the UK
by General Dynamics UK, a leading nurturer of Small- and
Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs), in accordance with the
UK’s Defence Innovation Strategy, which calls for a new
environment for innovation within the defence supply chain
and
notes that innovation is essentially the successful generation
and exploitation of new or, where appropriate, novel applications
of existing technology.
As well as helping innovative SMEs bring new capabilities to market, the EDGE™ UK facility further develops the partnership-based concept of the UK’s unique Joint Systems and Joint Networks Integration Bodies (JSIB and JNIB). The Joint Integration Bodies, pioneered by General Dynamics UK and the MoD in delivering the UK’s flagship Bowman communications programme, bring together industry and the MoD to integrate key networks and systems.
General Dynamics United Kingdom Limited is proud to support Defence Matters, a campaign by the UK defence industry to raise awareness and understanding of the industry’s work. The UK defence industry is proud to support our Armed Forces. We develop and manufacture the equipment that they use, maintain facilities and equipment and deliver pre-deployment training, with some industry personnel on the frontline working alongside our troops, maintaining and operating equipment. The industry also provides over 300,000 high-value engineering and manufacturing jobs, many of which are in the regions with the highest unemployment levels. To find out more about Defence Matters go to defencematters.co.uk.
For further information please contact:
Amanda Jackson, +44 (0)1495 236443,
amanda.jackson@generaldynamics.uk.com;
Sean Curtis-Ward, CEO, +44 (0)7836 690318,
sean.cw@bubblephone.com;
Neil Pattie, Communications, +44 (0)7784 086530,
neil.p@bubblephone.com.