Escalating tensions with neighboring adversaries that have expansive military capabilities are prompting smaller nations and regional coalitions to bolster their defense postures. They are making crucial investments in advanced, multi-domain technologies to counter complex threats to their sovereignty. Military forces operating across vast geographies require interoperable, secure networks to share intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) data, maintain maritime domain awareness and coordinate joint operations. These systems must be able to withstand electronic attack and anti-access/area-denial measures to keep the combined force connected.
L3Harris Technologies recently teamed with regional industry partners in the Asia-Pacific region to demonstrate how ready-now capabilities coupled with artificial intelligence (AI) solutions can drive technical overmatch and operational advantage. The event, called “EVEREST™: Pacific Vigilance,” showcased technologies that:
- Quicken the planning, decision and action cycle
- Link sensors to shooters
- Bridge between the tactical edge and strategic capabilities
- Enhance Joint All Domain Operations (JADO) effectiveness by increasing military force survivability and civil resiliency
“Our EVEREST: Pacific Vigilance demonstration brings together dozens of disparate technologies and systems into a unified network to deliver persistent sensing, early detection, strategic and operational fires coordination, ’whole-of-society’ defense concepts and civil-military hybrid resilience,” said Kevin Steubing, Vice President, International Business Development, L3Harris.
“Our EVEREST: Pacific Vigilance demonstration brings together dozens of disparate technologies and systems into a unified network to deliver persistent sensing, early detection, strategic and operational fires coordination, ’whole-of-society’ defense concepts and civil-military hybrid resilience,” said Kevin Steubing, Vice President, International Business Development, L3Harris.
Throughout the demonstration, L3Harris’ software-defined, interoperable systems acted as the critical bridge for this architecture, while the AI-enabled Maven Smart System provided by Palantir fused intelligence and sensor data across tactical networks in real time to accelerate decision-making and compress target acquisition-to-elimination timelines. Amazon LEO’s commercial satellite internet and Link 16 tactical data links deliver multi-domain, multi-path connectivity across the echelons.
Mission: Delivering Persistent Sensing and Early Detection
The scenario: In the onset of any response to a threat against the homeland, threat identification is the first step. In the EVEREST: Pacific Vigilance demonstration, this includes sensors and ISR capabilities.
The tech:
- A joint electronic warfare center identifies possible threats through electromagnetic-spectrum signature analysis.
- An airborne early warning and control system provides ISR and real-time warning against incoming objects.
- Counter-unmanned aerial system (C-UAS) solutions – such as L3Harris’ VAMPIRE™, Drone Guardian™ and electro-optical/infrared sensor systems – working in tandem with the network to identify swarming drone attacks and provide a kinetic counterattack.
- JADO command and control systems enabled by AI integrate with existing civil communications infrastructure.
Mission: Expediting Strategic and Operational Fires Coordination
The scenario: As the joint force responds to a threat, tactical and operational assets coordinate for long-range and coastal defense fires against large platforms.
The tech:
- Champion Auto’s next-generation shelter for C5ISR expands the networks between radios.
- A Tactical Operations Center – Light (TOC-L), provided by Booz Allen, integrates with the C5ISR shelter to bridge between Project 25 (P25) civil networks and tactical communications, providing deployable edge-compute capabilities to allow closer military and civil force coordination.
- Resilient waveforms, including L3Harris’ Wraith® MANET waveform, provide anti-jam data and voice solutions while delivering resilient, interoperable communication with the high-assurance solutions that connect precision fires controlled by RTX Sentry.
The Mission: Conceiving All-Out Defense Concepts
The scenario: Networked tactical operations – with brigade and battalion headquarters translating operational intent into maneuver tasks – provide seamless integration of ISR, Fires and C-UAS at the tactical edge.
The tech:
- A Rayvatek eVTOL UAS showcases the various unmanned platforms on which L3Harris embeddable radios can be integrated.
- The Wraith Shield™ C-UAS software expands the capabilities of software-defined radios to include sense-and-protect operations for a digitized, AI-analyzable battlefield.
- Tactical-edge network systems provide a portable solution to link together the C2 network from sensor, to shooter, to intelligence and command systems.
The Mission: Fortifying Civil-Military Hybrid Resilience
The scenario: In smaller countries, when massive forces threaten sovereign borders, full coordination between civil and military peacekeepers is essential – as is the ability of the agencies’ communication networks to interoperate. Civil, military and reserve forces will all need to respond to an asymmetric threat, and they will need to operate under predefined authorities and rules of engagement.
The tech:
- Dismount elements equipped with night-vision systems navigate in low-light conditions.
- P25-enabled tactical communications defeat the enemy, capture prisoners of war and manage injured or displaced personnel while also communicating with nearby civilian, police, fire and medical resources.
Looking Forward
“Our Everest: Pacific Vigilance event demonstrates not only technical capabilities but also the innovation and partnerships required to deliver ready, reliable and scalable solutions today,” said Jack Glasgow, Principal, Accounts Management, L3Harris. “Together with our partners, we are prepared to address current operational needs while developing the technology and concepts that define the security environment of tomorrow. With digitization and AI transforming the operational landscape, traditional boundaries between domains, networks and sectors are converging, bringing all elements of society together as stakeholders in preserving a peaceful and open Pacific.”
“Our Everest: Pacific Vigilance event demonstrates not only technical capabilities but also the innovation and partnerships required to deliver ready, reliable and scalable solutions today,” said Jack Glasgow, Principal, Accounts Management, L3Harris. “Together with our partners, we are prepared to address current operational needs while developing the technology and concepts that define the security environment of tomorrow. With digitization and AI transforming the operational landscape, traditional boundaries between domains, networks and sectors are converging, bringing all elements of society together as stakeholders in preserving a peaceful and open Pacific.”
