Communication among soldiers and regional command and control headquarters had been difficult as the army did not have the communications equipment necessary to allow for interoperability. Various ANA units use UHF or VHF radios while others use standard cell phones or landline phones. These disparate systems could not communicate with one another. If ANA soldiers were trying to communicate with other soldiers or their regional command office, and they were using different communications devices, the message had to be relayed, taking more time than desired to communicate a message.

"The decision to purchase an ACU-T was simple for us. It provided the ability to link our different radios to one another with different wave forms on the same nets and allowed for our radio users to connect with our telephone users," said Lt. Col. Jose Rodriguez, chief of communications for OSC-A. OSC-A already has purchased 13 ACU-Ts and now is assessing how many more Afghanistan will need for future interoperability between its military and police sectors. Thus far, two installations are complete: one at the National Military Command Center in Kabul and the other at the 201st Corps Regional Command Center in Pol-e-Charkhi.

The ACU-T device is ideal for the ANA because it is a small, rugged, rapidly deployable unit suitable for tactical or vehicular use. It also meets ANA's needs in that it can be customized to include any combination of radio and phone modules and is ideal for remote operation.

"The ACU-T device was rather straightforward to operate in mission critical environments," Rodriguez added. "This was extremely important to our purchasing decision, and the unit is reasonably priced."

The ACU-T has eliminated the need for message relaying and has significantly decreased the time it takes to properly transmit a message to its intended recipient. Now, soldiers or army offices can communicate in a timely and efficient manner. The ACU-T operator, typically located at a regional command center, simply connects the two disparate communications systems, using a computer interface on the ACU-T device. The two users are able to communicate instantly.

"The ACU-T has proven to be a valuable command and control tool for the ANA. Its ease of operation and deployment aided the ANA's efforts to achieve successful and timely communications," said Lee Martin, Raytheon JPS Communications director of Department of Defense sales.

Once the units have been installed properly, a team of ANA and U.S. military members will train army personnel assigned to operate the unit. OSC-A is now installing the systems and providing training for units in the field.

JPS Communications, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Raytheon Company, designs, manufactures and sells electronic hardware and software products that enhance the effectiveness of communications systems. The company's mission is to extend communications capabilities through the use of advanced digital technology. Headquartered in Raleigh, N.C., the company's focus is on radio interconnect products.

JPS offers unsurpassed local, regional, state, and wide-area interoperability by linking radios (HF, UHF, & VHF), SATCOM, cellular, WiFi and regular phones directly and over networks.

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