ASTi Upgrades Radio-IP Bridges at USAFE

Enables Air Force to Remotely Control Live Radios Via Web Interface

ASTi recently fielded upgrades to Radio-IP Bridge communications systems that support a network connecting several United States Air Forces in Europe (USAFE) bases. The product upgrades enable USAFE staff to use a web interface to remotely monitor and control military air-ground radios that are dispersed across Europe. The fielding work was performed by ASTi engineering staff at the USAFE Warrior Preparation Center (WPC) in Einsiedlerhof, Germany. ASTi provided a complete fielding services package, including: remote radio control kit installation, validation testing between live radios and networked ASTi Radio-IP Bridge systems and training courses for technical and operational staff.

The WPC depends on ASTi products to provide the core radio-over-IP capability for the program known as the USAFE Remote Radio Network (URNN). The URRN is a critical component of the WPC's training programs for front line combat jobs, including Tactical Air Control Party Specialists (TACPs) and Joint Terminal Air Controllers (JTACs). ASTi Radio-IP Bridges connected to the URRN integrate voice communications between combat aircraft flying over Germany, Italy, England and Belgium with virtual and constructive simulators located across Europe and the United States.

This live-virtual linkage realizes a host of benefits for the Air Force:

• Seamless radio communications coverage between live aircraft and ground assets and networked simulator-based training facilities.
• Conservation of live radio usage: any number of training center operators can share common access to radio assets through network connections. For example, traffic from a single ground-based radio in Belgium can be accessed by scores of airmen and soldiers using ASTi Voisus Thin Client networked voice applications running on their computers.
• The addition of ASTi remote radio control allows system administrators to use a web interface to reach across the network to a distant facilities and adjust radio settings, including: channel preset, frequency, AM/FM, squelch, power, and security modes. They can also monitor radios across the network to check: front panel settings, received signal strength, internal health reports, radio software version, and installed options.
• This powerful remote management capability allows the Air Force to operate and monitor radios and quickly diagnose communications issues using minimal, centrally-located staff.

ASTi has provided networked voice solutions to the WPC since 2006.

More information about ASTi Radio-IP Bridge and Remote Radio Control.

More information about the USAFE Warrior Preparation Center.

More information about Tactical Air Control Party specialists.