If you can't talk - chat
Chatting using short text messages has become a natural part of modern communication – almost an extension of voice conversation. But did you know that chat may also be possible in the field for the situations where voice communication on tactical radios is not available?
2 February 2017
When voice is not available
Modern armies typically employ a multitude of radio makes and models serving different purposes and representing different technological generations. While this diversity of radios enables optimization of communication for particular units and applications, it also represents a challenge in communicating effectively across units.
With radio manufacturers using different waveforms and encryption, it is sometimes impossible to talk voice to voice directly and hence requires an error prone relay and re-transmission process.
The Liaison Officer as the standard solution
A brigade may typically be equipped with a heterogeneous mixture of vehicle and radio types, which means that whilst sections, platoons, companies and battalions can talk directly to each other internally, they cannot always communicate effectively between formations.
Usually a Liaison Officer has to be embedded in each unit solely to facilitate inter-unit radio communication. This is an expensive solution and compounds the operational unit’s logistical problems.
Reach further than voice
A battle management system like SitaWare can help solve this problem by enabling data exchange over tactical radios. SitaWare can be connected to most makes and models of tactical radios in use today and can automatically bridge data exchange between the different radio makes and models, thus creating one integrated data exchange network for all units in an entire brigade.
Having a data exchange on your tactical radio means that even if you cannot talk directly in voice to someone, you will be able to chat with him or her, regardless of their unit or subnet assignment.
Similar to sending a text message on your phone
In SitaWare, the chat application is used in much the same way as sms/text messaging on a smart phone. To chat with someone, all you need to know is his or her call sign. SitaWare will automatically do the rest, ensuring that messages reach the intended recipient(s) wherever they are in the network and whatever radio they are using.
Nothing will ever replace voice
Undoubtedly, voice remains the preferred means of communication within a unit. But most people know from their own experience with smartphones, that using chat messaging is often superior to voice when communicating with people that are in a different context – such as communicating with someone in a neighbouring unit or up/down the chain of command or for logistical coordination.
Forces cohesion and brevity
Unlike voice communication, chat communication does not require the sender and receiver to be engaged in the conversation at exactly the same time – a great advantage when you cannot be sure of the availability of the person (or persons) in the conversation.
Chat also has the advantage that it forces concision and brevity, and it is typically recorded so that you can always go back if you need to recall or catch up on a conversation.
Click here if you want to learn more about using your tactical radios for data communication?
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