As reported by Forças Terrestres, Thales's brazilian subsidiary Omnisys has delivered the first batch of SOTAS intercoms to equip brazilian army vehicles, under the terms of a contract that was awarded on last September 2011 by the Centre of Communication and Electronic Warfare (CCOMGEX, Centro de Comunicações e Guerra Eletrônica do Exército). This is the debut of this product in the brazilian market, whose demand is estimated at about three thousand units.
SOTAS intercoms will be integrated into the new Iveco's Urutu VBTP MR-Guarani, and the less modern M113.
The Technology
Developed for use in armored and utility vehicles, the SOTAS digital intercom system provides communication between crew members inside a vehicle and externally over combat net radios and field cables. SOTAS is a highly modular star network consisting of a central switch and several crew stations. Dependent on the functionality of the crew, specific boxes are available providing different functionality (e.g., Commander's Box, Crew Box, Remote Control Box). Using the latest digital transmission technology, voice is distributed digitally over the system providing excellent quality. Using Digital Signal Processors, any noise is filtered out, and the system will switch on automatically in case of any voice communication. The single coaxial highway cables carry power, digital voice, control, and signaling data between the elements of the system. The use of simple coaxial cables ensures easy installation and error-free operation.
SOTAS services are not limited to individual vehicles. SOTAS offers multi-media intervehicle networking: voice, data, video communications, sharing of radios, sensors and computer resources, etc. Vehicles can be connected in any order and in any topology. On connection, SOTAS automatically adapts to the new topology; no management action is required. Thanks to its system architecture, SOTAS provides full support of information from the operations center to the warfighter in the field. The SOTAS gives fighters a joint situational awareness, and with its modular concept, it can be easily adapted and expanded at any time, without interfering with the initial installation.
SOTAS has been installed in nearly 50 vehicle types, spread over 28 different countries. More than 18,000 systems have been deployed worldwide.
Comments
"This contract is very important because it results from a national competition, where Thales is transferring the technology to Omnisys, totally in line with the strategy of the Brazilian government regarding the development of defense industry in Brazil," explained Laurent Mourre, Director General of the Thales Group in Brazil.
References: Forças Terrestres (1), Thales (2)
great work by SOTAS digital intercom system for Brazilian Army .These types of equipment are important for every army in the world.
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