News

2017-11-09

telephonics:Staying ahead in defence technologies

Telephonics has been providing governments, military and commercial companies with a wide range of cutting-edge technology solutions in aerospace and defence. For over eight decades, Telephonics products have been deployed in diverse environments. Kevin McSweeney, President, Telephonics discusses with Nation Shield the extensive participation of the company in the Dubai Airshow and the state of the art technologies and products it has brought to the show this year. Excerpts:

Established in 1933, Telephonics is an advanced-technology leader in highly sophisticated surveillance, communications, analyses and integration solutions. What core competencies have helped you retain a leadership position in your segment?
Spanning over 80 years, Telephonics has a rich history of creating leading-edge technologies for the aerospace, defense and commercial markets. Our core technologies include maritime, weather and ground surveillance radar systems, Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) interrogators, as well as airborne, vehicle and wireless intercommunications systems that are designed to perform in the most rugged and challenging of environments.

Your forte is high-technology engineering and manufacturing capabilities. Which major segments are among your customers?
The breadth and versatility of our product portfolio provides the opportunity to meet a wide variety of technology and manufacturing needs of OEMs, government, military and commercial companies around the globe.

You provide integrated information, communication and sensor system solutions to military and commercial markets worldwide. In what sectors are they used?
Telephonics technologies are deployed across a wide range of environments, including air, land and sea- based applications supporting an extremely wide customer base, including aerospace and defense, government and commercial sectors.

Telephonics specializes in aircraft intercommunication systems, wireless communication systems, radars, etc. What advanced technologies do you provide to major fighter manufacturers?
Telephonics’ unique understanding of radar technology, data correlation and sensor integration, along with mission requirements has been developed over many decades of experience and allows us to provide mature, sophisticated, yet innovative maritime and ground surveillance radar, IFF and communications systems solutions to support mission requirements worldwide.

Some time ago you were awarded a contract from Oshkosh Defense, for NetCom™ Vehice Intercommunications Systems to be integrated onto the company’s Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) for the U.S. Army. How is that work progressing?
In June 2016, Telephonics was chosen by Oshkosh to supply the NetCom™ Vehicle Intercommunications System for the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV). NetCom offers complete crew intercommunications, Adaptive Noise Cancellation (ANC) technology and radio management for up to 20 users. Since that time, Telephonics has delivered NetCom equipment to Oshkosh and is also supporting the build of initial production vehicles. We look forward to continuing to support the critical JLTV work that Oshkosh is performing for the U.S. Army.

In 2013, you had launched a JV with Mahindra Telephonics of India to focus on the development and manufacture of leading-edge surveillance and communications technologies for the Indian aerospace, defense and civil sectors. How successful has been this venture?
Yes, we launched Mahindra Telephonics Integrated Systems (MTIS), a joint venture between Mahindra Defense Systems and Telephonics in 2013. Clearly, the most important choice you can make when entering a JV relationship is with whom you partner and we are very pleased to have been able to engage with a well-respected, leading-edge brand in India such as Mahindra. Since 2013, we have seen continued maturation at a pace that we anticipated and are very encouraged by recent indications by the Indian government to move forward at a more rapid pace with respect to their aerospace and defense procurement and associated offset relationships.

What latest products and technologies are you displaying at Dubai Airshow this time?
Telephonics will be featuring NetCom™ vehicle intercommunications and TruLink wireless intercommunications systems, which enhance situational awareness by enabling warfighters to manage voice communications with ANC technology. We will also be displaying our Secure Digital Intercommunications (SDI) system, a lightweight and low-power solution that is scalable and versatile for fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft.

Telephonics is also displaying our latest IFF technologies, including the Passive Detection and Reporting System (PDRS), which is a multi-channel Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B), Universal Access Transceiver (UAT) and Mode 5 Level 2 squitter reporting and cueing system. PDRS acts as a receive-only system that provides situational awareness to civil and military aircraft, effectively eliminating radio frequency interrogation transmissions in the airspace.

We are also pleased to debut our MOSAIC™ Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA)-based radar technology.

Do you provide training for client countries in your highly specialized sector?
Telephonics stands by its products throughout their lifecycle and is fully committed to ensuring our customers are able to effectively and optimally engage with the technology. We offer a variety of training courses, either onsite at a customer’s location or in our own training facilities with the goal being that customers acquire the knowledge and experience they need to be able to confidently and thoroughly perform operational and maintenance tasks. Additionally, we work with in-country partners to ensure sustained training capabilities in a wide variety of regions around the globe.

What are the challenges you face in meeting the complex communication solutions in defence?
Today’s unpredictable and ever-evolving global environments and associated risks require innovative, yet reliable solutions. Telephonics’ advanced wired and wireless communications systems provide the digital backbone for defense platforms worldwide, including fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft, lighter-than-air aircraft and ground control shelters. Our flagship commercial audio products and headsets are utilized worldwide in a wide range of military applications, including audiometric testing and onboard flight environment.

Do the emerging terrorist threats require you to review your products and technologies from time to time? If so what are the major challenges you face here?
Telephonics is fully aware of and actively engaged in ensuring that our cyber-resilient products and technologies are meeting the unique requirements associated with battling the threats that global terrorism and other illicit activity can bring. Whether the requirement is surveying land or maritime borders to protect against drug smuggling, piracy, terrorism, our products are developed and continually fine-tuned to face a wide variety of threats no matter where they originate.

Comments () Views (2443 ) Print

Send To Friend