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:

1. User Feedback Driven Design - Design processes include multiple user-engagement events for evaluation and feedback to optimize the design for missions.
2. 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.
3. Multiple User Interface Options - Intuitive touchscreen controls and pushbutton backup for operations with personal protective equipment (PPE).
4. 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.
5. 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:

1. Navigation Warfare and GPS Disruption - Contested GPS environments are prevalent today and require immediate solutions.
2. Obsolescence - Legacy Selective Availability Anti-Spoofing Modules (SASSM) and Defense Advanced GPS Receivers (DAGR) are obsolete and no longer available.
3. M-Code GPS User Equipment Availability - M-code GPS Inc 1 technologies are available with low power options.
4. 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.