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Germany is making steps to a major advancement of its armed forces’ communications ability in the “Mobile Tactical Communications” (MoTaKo) program for digitizing tactical communications within the German Armed Forces.

The Munich-based electronics company Rohde & Schwarz has been awarded a contract from the German Ministry of Defense (BMVg) to equip initially 50 command vehicles with the joint radio system of the German Armed Forces (SVFuA). As written at prnewswire.com, SVFuA operates on the principle of the software defined radio (SDR) and offers secure, trustworthy communications up to the high classification levels. Rohde & Schwarz drew on its in-house cryptology development as a key national technology.

Initially, 50 command vehicles – PUMA infantry fighting vehicles (IFV) and BOXER armored transport vehicles (ATV) – will be equipped. Rohde & Schwarz will produce and deliver the first installment of the overall SVFuA system by 2020. The contract’s framework agreement allows the Federal Armed Forces to order additional SVFuA systems within a seven-year timeframe.

Harald Stein, a senior official in the BMVg: “Equipping the first PUMA and BOXER command vehicles with SVFuA is an important first step toward MoTaKo. We are pleased that with Rohde & Schwarz we have found a technologically-leading partner for this key modernization project.”

The SVFuA will give the German Armed Forces all the tools needed to create and especially protect information superiority. It also ensures interfaces with allies during joint missions and for collective defense.

Hartmut Jäschke, Senior Vice President at Rohde & Schwarz, explains: “With the SVFuA system, the German Armed Forces lay the foundation for state-of-the-art tactical communications. As a trusted German partner, Rohde & Schwarz fulfills all the customer’s requirements for a scalable, reconfigurable, and future-proof overall system. The company has demonstrated the implementation of current third-party waveforms on the software defined radio while preserving intellectual property rights, satisfying today’s requirements for interoperability with partners.”

With the acquisition of the SVFuA, the German Armed Forces are taking the first step in modernizing its tactical communications within the framework of the MoTaKo program. To support these projects over the long-term, Rohde & Schwarz decided to set up a joint venture with Rheinmetall AG for the purpose of submitting a tender as a general contractor.