Mission control communications Belgian MoD command center

Case Study

Mission control communications Belgian MoD command center

The R&S®M4ACS air domain communications system meets demanding security requirements

The Belgian Air Component is tasked with defending Belgian airspace, supporting ground troops, providing humanitarian aid and participating in peacekeeping operations. Secondary roles include search and rescue (SAR), medical evacuation and VIP transport.

Customer requirements

The Belgian Ministry of Defense (MoD) was looking for a voice communications system (VCS) with red/black separation that met the demanding security requirements for the Belgian Air Component air surveillance and defense command center.

Rohde & Schwarz solution

The R&S®M4ACS air domain communications system is a fully IP based voice communications system and a futureproof communications solution for fixed and deployable military command centers and air bases. The system offers certified separation of classified and unclassified communications via a trusted audio switch that automatically assigns the correct security level for incoming and outgoing calls, simplifying work for air traffic controllers. The Belgian MoD now operates one fully redundant system with over 43 controller working positions at the Belgium Air Component air surveillance and defense command center.

The key features of R&S®M4ACS

R&S®M4ACS clearly separates red/secure from black/ non-secure domains. Operators can simultaneously access two security domains with the same audio accessories and clear audio routing principles. The two security domains are separated by a TEMPEST Level A, Common Criteria BSI-certified R&S®Trusted Audio Switch. Each security domain has independent core equipment to access specific legacy and IP interfaces with distinct demarcation equipment. The versatile R&S®M4ACS solution can accommodate various installation scenarios including fixed, deployable and mobile systems.

R&S®M4ACS has maximum flexibility and optimal resource utilization. Any operator at any center can connect to any radio anywhere at any time. System expansion is easy: when added to the system, new CWPs, radios and gateways will learn about all available communications endpoints and become addressable endpoints themselves. The system scales with the number of elements from small installations to nationwide deployments.

The Belgian MoD system has a single human-machine interface. The architecture has redundant secure and trusted configurations for both classified and unclassified domains and each domain is equipped with the necessary number of radios and telephone interfaces. The two domains are strictly separated and connected to each controller working position with a trusted audio switch, ensuring the appropriate security level for each domain all the way to the controller headset.

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