HRS Harris Corp.

High-Speed, Wireless Communications Technology From Harris Corporation Helps Battle California Firestorms MELBOURNE, Fla., Dec. 18 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- High-speed, wireless communications networking technology developed by Harris Corporation for the U.S. military played a role in helping to battle the devastating Simi Valley fire in Los Angeles, California in late October. For the first time, the company's SecNet 11(R) Secure Wireless Local Area Network (SWLAN) product was installed onboard firefighting helicopters where it helped to reduce from four hours to just 18 minutes the time required to transmit critical frontline data and video to the fire command center, greatly enhancing situational awareness and facilitating more rapid firefighter response. "We are extremely proud of the role that Harris technology played in helping to fight this deadly fire," said Bob Henry, corporate senior VP and president, Harris Government Communications Systems Division (GCSD). "This event also demonstrates how SecNet 11 technology can be applied successfully in the future to other situational awareness requirements that may arise under Homeland Security-related efforts." Harris representatives rushed to Los Angeles by air and sea following an urgent request for assistance that was coordinated by the U.S. Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) Division in Keyport, Washington. NUWC had received the call for aid on October 28 from the Los Angeles Fire Department through Archangel, an organization that operates under the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and whose goal is to help the City of Los Angeles prevent and recover from terrorist attacks. Once on site, Harris and Navy personnel worked closely together and with the LA Fire Department to transform what is essentially a shipboard, combat communications and situational awareness system into one that could be installed on helicopters and used from the air to track fires on the ground. The goal was to combine the Navy's command and control technology with Harris' wireless networking capabilities to allow helicopters to fly the fire line, quickly gather data and video, compress this information and transmit it wirelessly to the Air Operations Command (AOC) center and then continue to fly to the next fire location without landing. Previously, the data gathered was downloaded to an onboard computer, then delivered by hand to the AOC, where the information was printed and then hand-delivered again to the fire command center - resulting in a lag time that consumed four precious hours before firefighters had a precise location to set up operations and defend both themselves and others from encroaching flames. Within just two days, the team had developed a system diagram, increased the helicopter's antenna transmit power, bench tested the overall system, bench tested the ground-to-helicopter communications, completed installation, and flew several operational test missions that provided critical data, streaming video, GPS, VoIP and imagery. The time required to acquire and deliver this information was reduced from three or four hours to 18 minutes. During the final test flights, the data links were updated once per second and provided real-time fire positions between the helicopters and the command post, where the data was instantly converted to video mapping displays and simultaneously posted to a website available to the Incident Commander. Because weather conditions improved by November 1, the system was not fully employed: however, two tactical missions demonstrated the successful integration of naval combat systems technologies to support firefighting efforts. "During CV-TSC's involvement in the Los Angeles fires, Harris Corporation's SecNet 11 product made it possible for our Keyport engineers to exchange data from the fire-spotting helicopters to the ground station, in a secure mode," said Commander John M. Jorgensen, Project Manager, Aircraft Carrier Tactical Support Center (CV-TSC). "We have been able to leapfrog an entire generation of technology with this secure, compact network card. We look forward to incorporating more of this off-the-shelf product line into our command and control processes." Harris SecNet 11 enables military and government users to communicate multimedia information -- including data, voice and video -- through an untethered, Type 1, secure wireless network at an unprecedented 11 Megabits- per-second (Mbps). This technology completely eliminates the need for wires and bulky encryption devices traditionally required for communicating secret level data, and features fast set-up, lightweight design, and low-power consumption. Based on the IEEE 802.11b standard, the SecNet 11 PC Card has been certified as part of the National Security Agency's (NSA) Commercial COMSEC Evaluation Program (CCEP). Harris GCSD, one of five divisions within Harris Corporation, conducts advanced research studies, develops prototypes, and produces and supports state-of-the-art, assured communications and information systems that solve the mission-critical communications challenges of its military and government customers, while serving as the technology base for the company's diverse commercial businesses. Harris Corporation, which also provides tactical radio, microwave, broadcast, and network products and systems, serves customers in more than 150 countries. For more information, visit http://www.harris.com/. Sound interesting? Find great jobs at Harris: http://www.careers.harris.com/ DATASOURCE: Harris Corporation CONTACT: Sleighton Meyer, Government Communications Systems Division, +1-321-727-6514, or ; or Tom Hausman, Corporate Headquarters, +1-321-727-9131, or , both of Harris Corporation Web site: http://www.harris.com/

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