Advanced Battlefield Communications System

Hearing is critical to the warfighter: threats must be heard, identified, and localized; a squad leader’s commands must be heard and interpreted. All of this is challenged by battlefield noise, whether from continuous noise from one’s vehicle or impulsive noise from incoming or outgoing fire. ONR seeks new advances in battlefield tactical communications technology. Creare proposes to develop a hardware and software platform that it can then use to rapidly iterate on solutions to deficiencies identified by Creare in existing electronically-enhanced hearing protection. We will also use this platform to demonstrate enhancements in situational awareness not possible with current-generation devices. After demonstrating the efficacy of its approach to the battlefield communications challenges, Creare will take the lessons learned and develop the military-hardened product that ONR and the warfighter need.