The SHARK™ Situational Awareness (SA) Simulator adds a new training component to the system for seamless transition to operational use, and the Digitally Aided Fire Support System (DAFSS) solution provides users with an artillery call-for-fire capability.
“The hC2 add-ons are designed to enhance the capabilities of the existing product family,” Kris Engel, L3Harris product analyst said. “The hC2 Suite is a field-proven BMS that has been deployed in more than 30 countries by L3Harris. The additional features and add-ons are designed to work with the hC2 suite of software products to support a wide range of integration protocols required by customers.”
The hC2 solution allows users to create operations plans, perform logistics tracking, operational status tracking, tactical position monitoring and execution of tactical operations at multiple operational tiers, from the dismounted edge to the upper-echelon joint force level. The software is designed to work seamlessly with L3Harris tactical radio networks. The software is available for dismount soldiers in the Android-compatible hC2 Dismount version and for mounted and HQ users in the hC2 Patrol and hC2 Command operating in Windows-based systems.
“The core concept behind the software is blue-force tracking and enemy/other indicators on a map to allow us to share battle-tracking information across the network all the way from the soldier on the frontline all the way back to the joint force commander,” Engel said.
The associated hManager product is a network communications manager, he added. The software provides a network planning, configuration, provisioning, monitoring and troubleshooting all from a unified, simplified graphical user interface. The software alerts operators to any interruption in network assets being managed by the system to initiate troubleshooting activities. A key feature of hManager is in terrain-based RF propagation analysis when planning radio network deployments.
NEW CAPABILITIES
The SHARK™ SA Simulator now provides hC2 users the ability to generate simulated GPS situational awareness tracks that simulate movement of networked assets in the field. This can be used for training and practice scenarios as well as pre-deployment testing of functional Battle Management System network functionality, Engel said.
“This allows the customer to test out their hC2 deployments without ever having to deploy actual radios to validate configuration completeness,” he added.
The hC2 Suite DAFSS add-on is specifically implemented into hC2 Patrol and hC2 Command variants for artillery call-for-fire operations. With this capability, a forward observer can identify a target on the map using the hC2 Patrol application and relay that call-for-fire request directly to the joint fire center using hC2 Command. Approval from headquarters is then automatically distributed back to both the forward observer and the gun commander, who can coordinate the final live fire.
“You’re taking a system that previously would take voice commands over the radio network — potentially relaying the commands across different echelons — and implementing a digital system that allows us to talk directly from point to point in the matter of minutes,” Engel said, noting this can reduce decision-making timelines in half.
GOING FORWARD
L3Harris will continue to extend its library of hC2 add-ons, as dictated by customer requirements, according to Engel. This includes a forthcoming release of an updated user interface along with the release of the product’s version 3.0.