SCC Titan Overview
The Situational Awareness, Command & Control (SCC) Titan Platform provides military and government agencies with a secure web-based application for full tracking and communications capability, including situational awareness, operational command and control, emergency response and the ability to provide comprehensive post operation debriefing. SCC TITAN comprises of a number of different elements including a platform as part of a Common Operating Picture (COP), devices (BLOS and GSM/GPRS) and SCC Tactical. A combination of a web-based platform as the command system and a client-based platform at the tactical level in the field is the basis of any future solution – SCC Titan has this architecture.
Devices
T24Defence designs and builds proprietary hardware . The product suite consists of a complete range of Commercial-Off-The-Shelf (COTS) personnel and vehicle, aircraft and maritime devices with military grade environmental standards such as IP67/68. The devices are built for the military sector and are fit for purpose across the package of SCC TITAN specifically addressing communications and security requirements. They are proven to be best in class for military requirements.
Communications
SCC TITAN incorporates machine-to-machine (m2m) capability in the hardware and software platforms to allow lateral communications and situational awareness between tactical level users as well as vertically between tactical users and headquarters. Furthermore, secure communications can be sent two ways between satellite devices and Android and iOS smartphones. Secure messages can also be sent to email and SMS via satellite.
Security
SCC TITAN has been developed with the security considerations of governments and agencies in mind. The devices and platforms incorporate the highest levels of encryption and end-to-end security. Unless using an ASP solution from T24D, SCC Titan resides on servers behind the client firewalls. The client has full control of the security of data across the networks and can control and disable devices in the field.
Integration
SCC TITAN can be integrated with any C4I or BMS system allowing for data convergence to higher-level strategic systems. SCC Titan does not replace BMS/C4i platforms, which are, in the main, radio based. It is a BLOS bolt-on that augments existing national systems and cost effectively satisfies the deficiency in every military of lost or no comms at the tactical level and therefore SA and C2.
SCC Titan Platform
This is the heart of the system and comprises the software program with data/message handling, gateway services and back office GUI capability. The platform software is installed into the Network Operations Centre (NOC) servers on existing client hardware or virtual networks residing behind client firewalls and ensuring that integrated data is highly available and secure. The system has been tested to support 10,000+ assets.
SCC Tactical
SCC Tactical is the mobile component of the SCC Titan solution and provides control at the tactical level for personnel on foot as well as in vehicles, boats or aircraft. It is designed to be accessed on a tablet or laptop computer in the field and connects to the SCC Platform as a client-based standalone situational awareness and command and control solution. The SA picture, incorporating Gallium geospatial mapping software, provides a global display of all the assets that can be viewed by the tactical user dependent on a quickly configurable permissions structure. It utilises satellite communications infrastructure to ensure continuous secure operation, anywhere in the world.
SA updates can be on demand or streamed to the user on configurable time intervals. SCC Tactical software is available for Windows 7/8 and Android and mapping is stored locally. The tablet or laptop on which SCC Tactical resides uses a data device such as the Iridium Whisper/Echo or Inmarsat Horizon as the modem to upload and download tracks, SA updates and communication data.
SCC Mobile
SCC Titan is device agnostic and any device can be integrated. The following devices have been developed by T24 Defence specifically for the defence sector.
Modules
The SCC Platform incorporates several add-on modules. The underlying technology in the devices and the Message Handler on the SCC Platform has been designed for Machine to Machine (M2M) capability to allow data to flow from sensors and devices in the field back to the platform and then, on a configurable basis, flow back to the field as SA or command data. M2M will underpin future developments and is the inherent power of SCC Titan.
Cargo Shadow with sensors for door open/close, humidity, temperature, movement and battery life provides up to 2 years reporting on one charge. The module on the SCC Platform allows for alerting, reporting, and full remote control of the sensor parameters globally.
Allen Vanguard (AV) is a leading providing of ECM equipment to block remote initiation of IEDs. SCC Titan is integrated to the AV Equinox System and allows threat data to be sent back to the SCC Platform as an alert and for this to be forwarded to nearest responders in the field. A threat can then be turned into a target.
Fills on the ECM equipment can also be changed over the air via the SCC Platform or using geofences on the device, negating the requirement to return to base.
Smith’s Detection LCD chemical sensors for soldiers are integrated to a Whisper satellite device that sends threat data BLOS to the SCC Titan platform. This threat alert data is then sent to the nearest Tactical user, within a set radius, to inform in real time where, when and what the threat is.
Thermal Scientific Radeye radiation sensors are used across Canada in remote locations to monitor ambient radiation levels. Data from these sensors is passed back to the government platforms that are integrated to the SCC Titan Message Handler but not to the front-end SCC Platform. This saves people having to travel to the remote sites to retrieve data.
The airborne solution comprises of an Iridium SBD satellite device (Whisper) that uses an external aero certified dual Iridium/GPS antenna to communicate with the satellites. This device is the communications data link and is then connected to either a Win7/8 or Android tablet that provides the interface for messaging, situational awareness and emergency alerts.
On the tablet an electronic map displays all operational assets with real time details of military grid reference (MGRS), time, date, altitude and speed. This will provide the aircrew with real-time SA whilst the messaging window will allow short messages to be sent to the HQ, other aircraft, an asset on the ground with a smart phone (possibly iPhone) or even to all assets as a broadcast message. The solution also allows the aircrew to send and receive email in the aircraft. The data is protected using AES256 level encryption and no single asset has the same encryption keys.
Automatic Identification Systems (AIS) data is viewed on maritime vessel terminals such as Raymarine. However, AIS location data is sent insecure and often transmitted via line of sight VHF and therefore easy to intercept. Somali pirates often locate shipping some 250 miles from their coast by intercepting valuable location data sent with no security.
A Special Forces client wanted to have their maritime BLOS SA data overlaid onto their existing AIS terminals in each boat. This was provided using T24D encrypted satellite devices integrated into their terminals. Furthermore, the solution provided 2-way messaging and emergency response of 13 seconds from trigger.
SCC Titan allows secure communications between SCC Tactical and Whisper and Echo satellite devices to terrestrial email or SMS.