INDUSTRY INTERVIEW: Telephonics
Communications Systems Division
Senior Director, Business Development
Telephonics
Q: Tell me about your product and how it addresses a capability gap that exists in the military today.
A: TruLink is a wireless intercommunication system that enables untethered voice communications in and around military platforms including ground vehicles, boats and aircraft. These military platforms create an extremely noisy environment and crew members typically attach a headset to a long cord for establishing communication between each other and with the host vehicle. Or, they resort to shouting and hand signals that are necessary to execute their mission. Long cords are cumbersome and present a safety hazard while shouting and hand signals risk miscommunication during critical mission operations. TruLink eliminates these hazards and risks by providing mobile crew members with clear voice comms between each other and the host platform over a short-range—500 meters—wireless link.
Q: How does the system work?
A: A common configuration of the system consists of a TruLink portable transceiver [TPT] and a TruLink access point [TAP]. The user clips the compact TPT onto their uniform and plugs into their existing military headset. The TAP is integrated onto the host air, sea or ground platform and acts as a bridge for the TPT users to gain access to the platforms’ communication assets. Through the TAP, TPT users can speak with each other, communicate to crew on the vehicle’s intercom, and communicate over the vehicles’ long-range radios. TruLink can also be configured as a stand-alone system where a group of TPT users can independently communicate as their own network.
Q: This sounds like a radio that is plugged into a headset. What makes TruLink different?
A: I mentioned that TruLink is a wireless intercommunication system and is therefore fundamentally different from traditional radios in the following ways: First, the system provides full-duplex communications, enabling multiple crew members to fully converse and issue urgent commands and alerts as needed. Radios operate in simplex mode where only one user can speak at a time and the undesired result of stepping on each other is common. Second, TruLink is VOX-enabled, which means the user simply speaks to transmit leaving their hands completely free to work on the task at hand. Radios require the user to take action in opening a communication channel by continually pressing a button to transmit. This degrades their effectiveness where typically both hands are needed during a mission operation such as conducting a maintenance procedure, manning a gun, pulling a rope or caring for a patient. Third, TruLink incorporates adaptive noise cancellation so that clear communications can be transmitted even in extremely high noise environments. Radios will transmit both the noise and voice, rendering the communication channel useless. Collectively, these TruLink features give the warfighter a new capability that both enhance mission safety and improve operational effectiveness.
Q: How is TruLink presently used by the military medical community?
A: The TruLink system is ideal for medivac crews on helicopters and ground vehicles, and aeromedical evacuation [AE] teams on fixed wing aircraft. Communication cords are eliminated so medevac crew maintains comms when leaving the platform to assist and retrieve a wounded patient. In addition, they have the freedom to operate in the tight confines on an aircraft without getting tangled up in cords. Communication is hands-free so they can fully focus on the patient, and the full-duplex feature enables them to readily collaborate across the team in crucial situations. The adaptive noise cancellation feature facilitates clear and effortless communication even under the whirling rotary blades of a medivac helicopter. No other communication system combines these features that support and enhance medevac/AE crew mission capability.
Q: Is TruLink fielded for use by the medevac and AE community today?
A: Yes. TruLink is presently fielded across Army, Navy and Air Force aircraft platforms to support these missions. TruLink is the selected wireless ICS system for the Army and Navy Air Warrior wireless intercom system [AWIS/AWICS]. TruLink is used by naval medevac crews on the HH-60H and MH-60S Navy air ambulance platforms and has supported short haul operations on numerous in-theater missions. The Army AWIS program is also managing an encrypted variant of TruLink that will enable medevac crews to access secure long-range radios. The Air Force has recently made a major investment in TruLink to support the mission of their AE teams. TruLink will be used for long haul operations to enhance the safe transport and care of patients on-board C-17, C-130E/H/J and KC-135 aircraft. A typical AE team consists of five crew members that are responsible for the medical care of multiple patients while being transported onboard aircraft. TruLink enables the AE medical crew director, flight nurse and medical technicians to move freely around the aircraft, untethered by restrictive cords, while maintaining hands-free, clear voice communication between each other in the high noise environment of the aircraft. These unique features enable the team members to focus on the safe transport of patients. ♦
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