MSPO 2024: Polish Communication Systems in the Wisła Program

During the 32nd International Defence Industry Exhibition MSPO 2024 at Targi Kielce, scheduled for September 3-6 this year, the company Transbit from Warsaw presented the latest version of the R-460AM-2 digital radio relay, which has been integrated with the Integrated Battle Command System (IBCS) for air and missile defense in the Wisła program (MSPO 2024: Concept of the New Mobile Communication Node from Transbit).

Photos: Jakub Link-Lenczowski, MILMAG

At the beginning of April this year, the R-460AM-2 digital radio relay successfully passed field tests.

The R-460AM-2 version is the most advanced set, consisting of:

• BBU (Baseband Unit) control block,
• RFU (Radio Frequency Unit) block for operation in band IV, RFU-IV designed for mounting on a mast, in close proximity to the antenna,
• RFU block for operation in band III+, RFU-III.

One BBU module supports two RFU modules via fiber optic cable connections. The R-460AM-2 radio relay operates with antennas for band III+ (including antennas used with the R-450A family of radio relays) and antennas for band IV (including dual-polarized antennas).

The purpose of the R-460A digital radio relay is to establish high-capacity radio communication over long distances of around 30 km, mainly through mobile digital communication nodes (RWŁC-10/T), which form the foundation of radio relay communication in the Polish Armed Forces. The need to establish long-range connections for telecommunication systems used by the Polish military, along with the increasing amount of data being transmitted from the battlefield, necessitates the use of the most advanced communication systems, exemplified by the R-460A radio relay.

The R-460A digital radio relay is designed for building High Capacity Line of Sight (HCLOS) radio links. It belongs to the latest generation of devices using Software Defined Radio (SDR) for programmable modulation methods. It is equipped with advanced algorithms to protect against jamming and interception, and additionally features a built-in Frequency Hopping (FH) mechanism. The R-460A radio relay is multifunctional, easily configurable, and modular, developed in accordance with military standards and requirements. In band IV, it can operate with a Switched Beam antenna, enabling operation in 8 directions, and in MIMO (Multiple Input Multiple Output) mode, allowing for significantly higher data throughput in the radio channel.

In 2021, the R-460A radio relay was integrated with the Integrated Battle Command System (IBCS) for air and missile defense in the Wisła program. The tests were conducted by Northrop Grumman, the system’s manufacturer, and engineers from Transbit. The R-460A radio relay is the first non-U.S. radio communication system integrated with IBCS.

The R-460A radio relay is also part of a procurement process conducted by the Military Communication Works No. 1 (WZŁ-1) in Zegrze for the delivery of Mobile Center For Digital Communication – Transmission (AŁC-T). The new communication center is an extension of the Mobile Digital Communication Node RWŁC-10/T.