Cyient Software Defined Radio

Securing Battlefield Communications

A pioneer in intelligent engineering in Aerospace and Defense, Cyient helps OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers slash NRE/RE costs and develop leading A&D products. Cyient is also a partner of choice for ‘Make in India’ initiative with a global footprint that enables effective connections with OEMs worldwide.

India has the fourth largest military in the world and is currently the world’s largest importer of arms. This is a distinction that the Narendra Modi led government has chosen to remove with its focus on Atmanirbhar Bharat.

To secure crucial communications over the battlefield, the government has prioritized indigenizing telecommunications equipment. Software defined radios play a crucial part here. They are the last link in the communications chain from divisional HQs to the soldiers on the frontlines.

Currently India imports these from a multitude of vendors. While this mitigates the impact of embargoes should a conflict arise, managing and maintaining them is a logistical nightmare.

A Designed and Made in India would solve all the problems while saving precious forex for cutting edge weaponry.

Cyient tasked us with designing and engineering a two-part system; a manpack radio for platoon level use and a handheld companion for sections. The device would be compatible with the stringent JS55555 specifications outlined by the Indian defense services.

Cyient approached Bang, looking for a partner who could think on their feet and with prior experience in design and development of devices conforming to Mil Standards.

Project Insights

Given that this was going to be a first in class product, we had to:

Integrate the diverse technologies that Cyient would develop/adopt
Create an ecosystem that could build a Mil Std Device
Create a design language that would carry from the larger Manpack to the smaller Handheld to ensure familiarity
Document in rigor all decisions taken along the way to ensure smooth program management
Work with their inhouse and vendors for critical modules

Look the part

Soldiers are human too. And they need to be confident that the equipment they’re provided with can do the job. We designed the manpack and its companion handheld to look rugged and cutting edge at the simultaneously. This would help adoption of an Indian product in a field hitherto dominated by imports.

Hot Swap

Hotswap or battery replacement in running conditions is essential for rugged devices and even more so for military ones. They allow for continuous flow of operations with a break. We sourced and integrated components that would not only comply with the stringent Mil Specs but easy to operate using a coin or tip of the bayonet to swap out the batteries and replace them in the time committed.

Make it Cool

We’re not talking about looks here. Military devices emit high strength radio signals and get hot in the process. Fans are out of the question here as they need to be waterproof. And kept cool under the scorching desert sun as well. Manpacks are carried on the soldiers’ backs. Which meant any thermal design had to ensure that zone remained as cool as possible. We achieved these goals working with Cyient’s thermal engineers to plan out heat transfer mechanisms suited for the job.

Rugged and Reliable

JS55555 is one of the strictest standards of ruggedness a device must pass. We designed and engineered electromechanical integration to pass the shock, vibe, drop and tumble tests. We identified suppliers who could provide paints that would survive environments such as jet fuel fumes, salt sprays and mists and not peel/bubble either under the scorching desert sun or the freezing heights of Siachen.

Build it in India

Military hardware is made from jobbing processes such as machining. This is typical of the industry as volume orders are small and extreme ruggedness is critical. But how do you know that a block of metal is what it seems? We worked with suppliers approved by players like Boeing to get hands on Al-6061-T6 to ensure that both the manpack and the handheld were as light as possible yet could survive the arduous conditions. And why this specific grade: It meant the material was free of blow holes (a major failure point in both the field as well as the machining shop) and provided a trace to the source should the device fail.

Play the Long Game

While we could finish our part quickly, we often had to roll with changes that came as technology evolved during the project. This allowed Cyient to demo the product to the high command and get their foot in the door as one of the first private vendors supplying complete military hardware.

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