Low Cost Radio Based ID and Position Reporting System

The US military has a developed and is testing several technologies that promise to reduce fratricide incidents on the battlefield. These Radio-Based Combat Identification Systems consist of specially modified, currently inventoried, military radio systems. These systems do not allow identification of friendly forces using commercial radio systems and, therefore, such personnel may be targeted. Nomadics will implement a low-cost approach to the modification of commercial radio systems to provide not only identification of the system but also the system's location. The proposed approach will be based on an existing system used by the amateur radio community. This system incorporates the basic requirements of a commercial radio-based identification system, including GPS position reporting. The system could automatically, or by interrogation, identify and locate all other units involved in the operation. Some systems could support display of asset identities and locations of the interrogated units. This project will focus on the enhancements required to provide the level of speed, security, and robustness necessary for a reliable, rugged, and user-friendly commercial field-deployable system that can be integrated with military systems.