Bracer
Designed for discretion and engineered to operate in the planet’s harshest environments, it is the most robust, effective and reliable commercial TacSat in the market.
Contact usBracer sets the standard in secure commercial satellite communication.
Powered by Iridium satellite technology, the 100% BLOS, Push-To-Talk device keeps you connected through a highly-resilient network, while end-to-end encryption protects your information and allows you to operate without constraints. Encrypted GPS-based position location information offers real-time situational awareness and supports rapid decision-making.
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The ultimate PACE solution.
Bracer is the ideal choice for the often-neglected contingency and emergency components of PACE plans, offering reliable communications and situational awareness when primary and alternate communication technologies fail.
When applied to the PACE methodology, the system can be employed across all aspects of PACE to either provide Primary communications or as an instant failover to the other systems. It can also be employed to complement Primary and Alternate systems as part of link engineering, whilst providing situational awareness in the background, enhancing capability.
Bracer Highlights
- Extreme resilience
Guaranteed performance in the planet’s harshest environments, across land, sea and air. - Superior security
End-to-end encryption ensures team communications remain secure and information stays safe. - High availability
100% Beyond Line Of Sight capability keeps global teams connected, wherever they are. - Third party integration
Universally interoperable with a range of covert, discreet and overt audio ancillaries.
- Compact carrying
Optimised Size, Weight and Power (SWaP) ratio means it can be deployed easily. - Instant C2
Configure global coverage in seconds, so that when time is of the essence securing communication lines is simple. - Affordability without compromise
Elite functionality at a fraction of the cost of military alternatives. - Real-time situational awareness
GPS-based position location information offers real-time situational awareness and supports rapid decision-making.
New Features
Standard Iridium Dial Up Data Service
In line with the telephony access user’s can access a 2.4Kbs dial up data service.
Standard Iridium Satellite Telephony
Through a Bracer™ firmware upgrade users will enable the option to switch from the PTT service to satellite telephony. It takes approximately 5 seconds to switch service and requires an Iridium SIM card. This is the standard Iridium telephony service giving access to phone calls within Iridium, other satellite constellations, GSM and fixed infrastructure networks. Telephony adds additional functionality into a user’s PACE plan and reduces the requirement to carry an additional satellite phone.
Bracer™ Android Application
QinetiQ have developed the Bracer™ Android Application for viewing Position Location Information feeds received through the Bracer handset. The Android Device can work standalone and does not need to be connected to the internet or a LAN/WAN to receive the feeds. These can then be ingested into a 3rd Party GIS mapping system such as ATAK.
Interoperability Update: Bracer™ has now been proven to be Plug and Play with the following products.
- Resilience Tactical Voice Bridge (TVB). Device used to interconnect different radio systems at the voice level.
- Base Camp Connect Voice Bridge Products. Devices used to interconnect different radio systems at the voice level.
- WinTAK/ATAK/CivTAK. Ingest of Bracer™ PLI into the TAK software products.
- Glenair STAR-PAN™ Integrated Soldier Multiport USB Data Hub. Glenair have developed a new lead for Bracer™ to reduce SWaP.
- Invisio Audio Ancillaries – Invisio have developed a new lead for Bracer™ to reduce SWaP.
Communication. Secured.
Engineered to excel in the harshest environments, Bracer performs in aircraft up to Mach 2.0 speeds and facilitates effective communication in urban canyons, mountainous regions and deep valleys. Powered by the Iridium Low Earth Orbiting satellite network, Bracer™ keeps global teams connected when communication is critical.
With an unlimited number of handsets available for each talkgroup, and each handset configurable with up to 15 separate groups at any one time, Bracer’s ability to seamlessly connect global teams makes it an essential part of any mission.
- Military
- Border Force Protection
- Asset Tracking/Position Location Reporting
- Downloads
- Gallery
Primary. The primary means of communication is usually a robust, high grade encrypted digitised military system that operates within the VHF/UHF frequency band.
Alternate. If the primary system fails then the user is required to switch to the alternate system which is likely to be based on a complex and high grade encrypted system, which is part of a wider Combat Net Radio programme. The user will usually experience some loss in capability when using the alternate system.
Contingency. Due to budget constraints, this gap area is often masked by the use of mobile phones, which cannot be relied upon in the operational domain as it is neither reliable nor secure.
Emergency. As with Contingency solutions, little investment is given to Emergency systems and the available technology’s capability has dropped significantly from the primary system.
Responsive, reliable, simple and secure, Bracer increases reactiveness, enhances situational awareness and passage of information, improving the ability to prosecute effective Command and Control and can increase the speed of the decision making cycle. Bracer is the ultimate PACE solution that seamlessly bridges the gap across the Primary, Alternate, Contingency and Emergency requirements delivering secure voice, data and positional location reporting.
To provide Command, Control and Coordination in support of Border Force Protection is a complex task. Security Forces face the challenge of communicating in all types of environments (land, air, maritime, mountainous and urban). The distances can be extensive and often go through areas where it is uneconomical or unfeasible to be support by terrestrial infrastructure. Bracer Secure Satellite Push-to-Talk system provides a simple solution that can complement existing radio systems or become the primary capability in its own right.
Low SWaP. Low size weight and power (450g).
Agile and Scalable. Bracer provides communication without range constraints for an unlimited amount of handsets in a Talkgroup. It can be set up in seconds, both in vehicles, maritime platforms, headquarters and on the person.
Low Position Location Reporting. The very low latency position location reporting system (500ms), provides accurate and near-real time tracking for every handset so that commanders have immediate understanding of personnel and platform locations. The system pushes and can pull information as required. This aids with quick deployment of resources that are best situated to react to an incident.
Emergency Alert. Asset Tracking is also supported with an emergency alert function that is received in seconds by all handsets in the Talkgroup – Reducing reaction times.
Easy to Use. As an intuitive system the training for users is minimal.
Perfect for PACE. It can be used as a Primary or Alternate system, or be used in the contingency or emergency role depending on the scenario. The user makes the choice. This assures communications to ensure seamless connectivity.
Bracer BLOS Satellite Bridge for Line of Sight radios. The Bracer Bridging feature offers an option to range extend and link geographically separated line of sight systems.
Interoperability. Many Border Force organisations utilise a combination of VHF/UHF Private Mobile Radio (PMR). They also use High Frequency radios to overcome range constraints. Utilising HF can reduce mobility due to the size of antenna systems, especially at night. Bracer can complement existing radio networks (PMR and HF) using the Bracer BLOS functionality.
Rapid deployment and Movement at Speed. Bracer will tolerate movement up to Mach 2.0 and therefore is a system that could be implemented into the air domain. It can be fitted to a vehicle within seconds giving a user the flexibility to move with operational need with whatever platform is available.
Low Cost Airtime. Satellite airtime is notoriously expensive. Bracer is powered by the Iridium PTT service which is a very low cost in comparison to other satellite systems. It is affordable to those that may have previously discounted satellite services on financial grounds.
Bracer has in built end to end encrypted (FIPS 140-2 Level 3) position location reporting that is received by all handsets within a Talkgroup. This powerful capability tracks handsets at approximately 500ms from the point of transmission to point of receipt. Each handset can push its position reports with every voice call, a waypoint option or if the device moves more than 500m/1000m/2000m from its last report location (depending on user selected setting). It also has a pull function where a handset can request Position Reports immediately from other handsets within the Talkgroup or be set up to pull at periodic intervals. Unlike many other tracking systems there is no back end infrastructure requirement and the information is received directly from the Bracer Handset. This reduces latency with receiving reports and negates the requirement for a secondary bearer system to link into a separate network.
Position Reporting on PTT service. Position reporting is delivered through the PTT service as a background activity to the end to end encrypted Voice. Tracking does not use the Short Burst Data service therefore this reduces the requirement for multiple service billing and reduces airtime costs.
Position Location Picture. Once the Bracer position reports are received they can be ingested onto a laptop/PC/tablet and overlaid onto a GIS mapping system. This provides accurately placed icons allowing for an instant pictorial view of the users disposition. This is a versatile and highly mobile approach to receiving the tracking picture. Currently the system outputs in .kml and Cursor on Target (CoT).
Emergency Alert. As part of the position reporting is an emergency alert functionality which gives instant notification to all users within a talkgroup. Each user receives an audible tone, a distance and direction to the activated handset allowing for an immediate situational awareness and allows for quick responsive action.
Bracer Product Sheet
