FalconFighter - Soldier Sensors

Harris Corp. delivers first FalconFighter Modular Soldier Systems Feb 22, 2011Courtney E. Howard

MELBOURNE, Fla., 22 Feb. 2011. Harris Corp., an international communications and information technology company, has delivered its first FalconFighter Modular Soldier System to a nation in Asia with emerging requirements for video on the battlefield. The systems consist of rugged video cameras, the RF-7800S Secure Personal Radio, power modules, and the new RF-7400E-VP Tactical Video Processor. The TVP captures video from any analog camera worn on the battlefield and prepares it to be transmitted over tactical radio links.
The customer ordered more than 500 FalconFighter systems to provide its military forces with enhanced capabilities for streaming live video from the field to commanders for improved decision-making.
"The FalconFighter is a modular, flexible soldier system that can be configured to meet the widest variety of customer soldier requirements,'' says Andy Start, president, international business unit, Harris RF Communications. "In this case, FalconFighter is addressing requirements for the quick and seamless transmission of video from the field to commanders to aid in decision-making and planning.”
A key component in the first FalconFighter delivery is the RF-7400E-VP, a lightweight body-worn processor that provides advanced streaming video capabilities on the move. The TVP encodes video captured by an analog camera into an advanced video compression standard, reducing bandwidth and storage requirements. The converted video can be sent over Internet Protocol networks. In addition to video processing and compression, the RF-7400E-VP also offers a built-in recorder for post-mission analysis or training purposes. The device will continue to record even when out of range of tactical radio networks.
The RF-7400E-VP is capable of interfacing with all Harris Falcon III radios. It will automatically optimize video parameters in order to leverage bandwidth capabilities on the radio, and draws a consistent power source from tactical radio batteries.
"Peripherals like the RF-7400E dramatically expand the power of wideband networking radio systems now being deployed by military forces around the world,'' Start adds. “This will help feed richer information to the battlefield and result in improved situational awareness and operational decision making."
The RF-7400E comes with the Harris Video Management Application software, which allows users to view and manage multiple video streams via a personal computer or PDA device.