JMHH Inc 1 addresses the rapidly expanding presence of
navigation warfare in military operations worldwide, replacing the
Defense Advanced GPS Receiver (DAGR) with an industry-leading
design that is optimized for warfighter utility and
usability
COVINGTON, Ky., July 1, 2024
/PRNewswire/ -- At the 2024 Joint Navigation Conference,
Technology Advancement Group (TAG) announced its release of the
Joint Modernized Handheld (JMHH) Increment 1 (Inc 1), an
accelerated version of the JMHH being developed by TAG under a U.S.
Space Force (USSF) Space Systems Command (SSC) joint program of
record. Taking advantage of available M-Code GPS Inc 1
technologies, JMHH Inc 1 is intended for early adopters and users
with urgent operational needs who require immediate access to a
stand-alone assured positioning, navigation, and timing (A-PNT)
solution.
In June 2023, the USSF
Positioning, Navigation, and Timing Systems Delta (PNT SYD)
selected TAG as the sole remaining prime contractor on the JMHH
program. TAG's JMHH design was selected over four competitors in a
multiple down select process. TAG's initiative to offer an early
release version of JMHH based on M-Code GPS Inc 1 technologies is
based on the expanding threat and the current availability of
M-Code GPS signals-in-space and user equipment.
"TAG is proud to be selected by the PNT Systems Delta as the
prime contractor for the JMHH," said Mr. Gabriel LaMois, TAG's CEO and former U.S. Army
Green Beret officer. "As a combat veteran, I take pride in TAG's
focus on the warfighter. We strive to build products that the
warfighter wants to use, with designed-in upgrade paths to address
problems the DoD isn't even aware they have today."
Addressing end-users' difficulties with operating legacy PNT
systems, TAG designed the JMHH to be intuitive and easy to use for
the warfighter. "We recognized early on that the JMHH end-users are
warfighters and digital natives, intimately familiar with
state-of-the-art commercial devices like Apple and Android
smartphones. Our strategy is to take advantage of this knowledge
base, resulting in an intuitive, easy-to-use device that provides
unparalleled performance," said Mr. Paul
Tupin, TAG's CTO.
Key attributes to this approach are:
- User Feedback Driven Design - Design processes
include multiple user-engagement events for evaluation and feedback
to optimize the design for missions.
- Integration of Existing Technology Eases Adoption - TAG
implemented Android Team Awareness Kit (ATAK), a
Government-off-the-shelf solution for geospatial information used
widely in military and civilian applications.
- Multiple User Interface Options - Intuitive touchscreen
controls and pushbutton backup for operations with personal
protective equipment (PPE).
- Continuous Operational Capacity - Power management to
optimize battery life over the mission, exceeding the 19-hour
battery life required in the technical requirements. Battery stacks
are monitored separately and are hot-swappable, enabling continuous
operation.
- Intuitive, Stand-Alone Unit – The JMHH Inc 1 has an
easy-to-use interface and can be used as a stand-alone
device. Legacy solutions are notoriously frustrating to use.
Other solutions require tethering to other equipment to achieve the
same level of capability.
The JMHH Inc 1 has the following key features:
- Military Code (M-Code) GPS and GNSS
- State-of-the-art low error IMU for GPS degraded/denied
environments
- Full-color, 3.5" transflective, night-vision compatible (NVC)
map display
- Multi-screen ultra-low power NVC auxiliary display
- Android Team Awareness Kit (ATAK) compatibility with intuitive
user interface
- 19+ hours (-20°C) on-mission battery life and hot-swappable
batteries
- DAGR backward compatible - mount/dismount in seconds
Mr. Tupin said, "In field tests, our prototypes with Inc 1
receivers and integrated IMUs were able to acquire and continuously
track GPS under dense triple canopy and accurately navigate
underground for extended periods. Our team works closely with
component manufacturers to incorporate bleeding edge technology
across the entire JMHH design, ranging from custom antennas and
magnetometers to first-in-the-world use of new multi-core
processors, power management ICs, and displays. TAG's development
strategy allows us to exceed system requirements other vendors said
were impossible."
Military operations require trusted solutions to execute
missions effectively and accurately. Military GPS and other trusted
sources of position, velocity, and timing are essential to overcome
the jamming and spoofing threat of the adversary. TAG is addressing
these with the JMHH Inc 1 in the following ways:
- Navigation Warfare and GPS Disruption - Contested GPS
environments are prevalent today and require immediate
solutions.
- Obsolescence - Legacy Selective Availability
Anti-Spoofing Modules (SASSM) and Defense Advanced GPS Receivers
(DAGR) are obsolete and no longer available.
- M-Code GPS User Equipment Availability - M-code GPS Inc
1 technologies are available with low power options.
- Warfighter Adoption & Proficiency - Intuitive and
common user interfaces lower training requirements and time to
become proficient by using existing interfaces available to service
members in their daily lives"PNT is at the vanguard of Great Power
Competition – and the JMHH Inc 1 is a step toward navigating the
future operational environment. TAG is dedicating itself to
designing and delivering this capability to the battlefield," said
Mr. LaMois.
JMHH Inc 1 is available for ordering starting in November 2024, with delivery starting in
2025.
ABOUT
Since 1984, Technology Advancement Group (TAG) has designed and
deployed enterprise IT, computers, and enabling technologies for
rugged and austere environments. TAG's expertise is in position,
navigation, and timing technologies for use in contested
environments, and is dedicated to developing a family of assured
navigation technology solutions that can scale to meet the threats
of today's electronic battlefield. TAG devises modular and
adaptable technologies that support everything from dismounted
warfighters and first responders to large, complex agency-wide
platforms, and national critical infrastructure. More information
is available at https://www.tag.com.
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SOURCE Technology Advancement Group, Inc.