Communication.

Secured.
Keep your
communication
lines open and
information secure
Bracer™ sets the standard in secure
commercial satellite communication

Designed for discretion and engineered to operate

in the planet’s harshest environments, it is the most
robust, effective and reliable commercial TacSat in
the market.

Powered by Iridium satellite technology, the 100%

BLOS, push-to-talk device keeps you connected
through a highly-resilient network, while end-to-end
encryption protects your information and allows you
to operate without constraints.

When information security is critical, trust Bracer™.

Bracer in action
™

Unconstrained by azimuth,
Bracer™ performs in built up
areas, mountainous regions
and canyons.

Performs in aircraft at
speeds up to Mach 2.0.
 Engineered to excel in the most harsh With an unlimited number of handsets
environments, Bracer™performs in aircraft available for each talkgroup, and each
up to Mach 2.0 speeds and facilitates handset configurable with up to 15
effective communication in urban canyons, separate groups at any one time, Bracer’s
mountainous regions and deep valleys. ability to seamlessly connect global teams
Powered by the Iridium Low Earth Orbiting makes it an essential part of any mission.
satellite network, Bracer™ keeps global
teams connected when communication
is critical.

Low latency of
0.5 seconds.

Iridium LEO satellite network

ensures truly global coverage.
Bracer™ has been engineered to
expertly serve military, commercial
and aid & emergency personnel
through a range of innovative
product features
Extreme resilience Superior security
Bracer™ delivers guaranteed performance Bracer™ applies end-to-end encryption
in some of the harshest environments in powered by QinetiQ, ensuring team
the world across land, sea and air. Rated communications remain secure and
IP66 and IP67, Bracer™ can withstand information stays safe.
extreme conditions, keeping global teams
connected when it matters most. Instant C2
With Bracer™, you can configure global
Compact carrying coverage in seconds, so that when time
Bracer’s optimised Size, Weight and Power is of the essence, securing communication
(SWaP) ratio means it can be deployed lines is simple. Putting the power to configure
easily and used discreetly. coverage in the hands of the user, Bracer™
allows instant handset reconfiguration
Affordability without compromise over the air.
Bracer’s use of commercial satellite
technology guarantees elite functionality Third party integration
at a fraction of the cost of military Bracer™ is universally interoperable with a
alternatives — so that keeping connected range of covert, discreet and overt audio
doesn’t have to affect the bottom line. ancillaries; letting you choose the best
radio to meet mission-specific tasks.
High availability
Powered by the Iridium Low Earth Orbiting
satellite network, Bracer’s 100% BLOS
capability keeps global teams connected,
when constant communication is critical.
Bracer™ secure BLOS PTT radio

Iridium satellite network

• As a system Bracer™ is powered by the Iridium satellite

constellation using the push-to-talk service to enable rapidly
deployable situational awareness and secure command and
control in one system.

• As a satellite service it negates the requirement for expensive

range extension equipment, reducing the manpower, training,
planning, physical security and logistics associated with
deploying such equipment.

Truly global coverage

• The satellite constellation enables communications from

anywhere to everywhere in the world.

• Coverage areas are controlled by the user, not the service

provider, allowing for movement of Talkgroup coverage within
seconds in line with the users operational demand, increasing
responsiveness as real-time situations emerge or change.

Mobile platform communications

• The Iridium network tolerates platform movement up to Mach

2.0 and can operate through rotor blades and is ideal for
BLOS communications on aircraft, maritime vessels, vehicles
and personnel.

• Bracer™ can be simply carried onto a platform (land, maritime,

air*), reducing cost and timelines associated with a full
System overview integration process. This allows for rapid use from
• Bracer™ satellite radio communications device and service platforms of opportunity.
provides end-to-end encrypted (AES 256 FIPS 140-2 level Environmental
3), beyond line of sight (BLOS) voice in one-to-many push-
to-talk radio mode, Position Location Information, and SOS • Bracer™ is adapted to operate in extreme environments
emergency alerting. with a level of robustness that is designed for the most
demanding scenarios.
• Responsive, reliable, simple and secure, Bracer™ increases
reactiveness, enhances situational awareness and passage • Tested to IP66 (high power jet washable) and IP67
of information within the operational domain, improving (submersible to 1m for 30mins).
the ability to prosecute effective command and control and
increase the speed of the decision-making cycle. • It is also ideally suited for challenging communication
environments such as, at sea, mountainous regions,
Requirement areas deep canyons and built up areas.
• The system has a range of use areas that include supporting Low SWaP
early entry expeditionary and dislocated forces, wide area
communications, crisis response, liaison tasks, enduring • The handheld device is low size, weight (400g) and
operations across the spectrum of military commitments, and power (7 Watts).
training exercises.
• The battery is integrated into the device and can be recharged
• Example market areas where Bracer™ would be applicable via, mains, 12V DC and USB.
include: defence, government agencies, coast guard, border
forces, aid organisations, and emergency services. • The internal rugged antenna is small (approx. 3cm in
height), with remoting options for body-worn, in-building
Situational awareness and vehicle connectivity.

• Bracer™ enables end-to-end encrypted Position Location Simplicity

Information to be transmitted from each device, which can
be visualised through a tethered data device in the tactical, • Bracer™ has been built with simplicity in mind. Easy to
operational or strategic domains. train and simple to use by non-vocational communicators,
reducing overheads normally associated with extensive
• At 500ms latency it is equivalent to the fastest terrestrial based training and subsequent skill fade experienced with other
tracking systems and includes an emergency alert function. tactical radio systems.
Bracer™ key features

1. Ruggedised casing 14. Intergral battery

• Tough polycarbonate fully sealed casing for maximum impact • 6000mA hour capacity
protection with rubber over-mould for handheld comfort • Lithium ion
2. LED indicator • 3 days, mission life (8:1:1 duty cycle)
• USB , DC or AC charge (with adapter)
• Multi-colour LED status indicator
15. Multi-function button 1
3. Internal antenna
• Send tone 1
• Ruggedised internal high gain Iridium antenna, • Zeroise (multi-press)
safe for body worn use
16. Power/config connector
4. SOS
• Charging , USB configuration (PC), USB token, PLI tether
• Emergency SOS button
• Protective cap for accidental activation 17. Audio PTT connector
• Sends SOS and PLI message to all active • Headset PTT audio connection
radios on PTT Talkgroup (secure TGs only) • Multi-headset compatibility via adapter cables
5. Headset volume 18. External antenna connector
• Volume up/down buttons • SMA connection for external Iridium antenna
6. Soft keys 19. Lanyard tether point
• Status sensitive quick selection keys
• Integrated slot for lanyard (included)
7. Navigation keypad
• Enter button (centre)
• Menu navigation keys (up, down, left, right)
8. Multi-function button 2
• Send tone 2 3
• Send instantaneous PLI
• Zeroise (multi-press)
9. SIM card slot
4
• Sealed removable SIM panel
1 2
• Requires Iridium SIM card to enable
telephony services**
10. LCD display
• Variable LED backlight
• Battery life/charging 10
• Iridium signal strength
• Talkgroup status 11
• Talker ID and PLI
5
• Talkgroup select
• Secure mode indication 12
• Settings menu 6
11. On/off
7 13
• Multi-function power button
• Selectable power states: 8
- Disabled
- Off 14
- Standby
- On
15
12. Integral GPS/GNSS antenna 9
• Integral GPS/GNSS antenna for PLI
13. Integral PTT button
17
• Activate transmit audio into talkgroup 16 18

Footnotes:
* subject to airworthiness assessments 19
** subject to future firmware upgrades
Bracer specification* ™

General
Services • Voice: One-to-many, BLOS, Iridium™ push-to-talk (insecure** and secure modes)
• Secure Position Location Information (PLI) and emergency alerting (SOS)
• Simultaneous voice and PLI
• Multiple PTT talkgroups
Frequency range • Iridium 1616–1626.5 MHz L-band
Waveform • TDD, TDMA/FDMA
Transmit Power • 7 Watt (peak)
Audio latency • 500ms
Net entry time • 500ms from hot talkgroup (open)
• 2 seconds warm talkgroup (idle)
Network coverage • Truly global, user managed
• 6 talkgroup sizes (100,000 Sq km to 2.5 million sq km)
Internal GNSS • Multi-constellation open service L1/E1/B1 GPS, Galileo, GLONASS, BeiDou
Iridium PTT talkgroups • Multiple talkgroups per customer
• 15 talkgroup allocations per radio
• Over 1,000 handsets per talkgroup
• Priority talkgroup assignment (pre-empt)
• Customer to customer talkgroup sharing (single net)
Talkgroup management • End user managed via web portal command centre
• Flexible assignment of radios to talkgroups
• Dynamic over the air update of radio talkgroup assignments (20 second network
wide update time)
• 5 x tariffs from small (100,000 sq km) up to jumbo (2.5 million sq km) with flexible
coverage in up to 10 polygon areas on web map per talkgroup
Iridium satellite airtime • Handset subscription
• Talkgroup subscription
Encryption key management • PC compatible security toolkit software
• Radio initialisation and key generation/distribution
• User authentication assignments
Compatibility • Fully compatible with Iridium Extreme 9575PTT handset (in insecure** mode)
Certifications • CE, FCC, UL

Security
Insecure mode • Iridium™ AES 256 SatCom bearer link encryption
Secure mode • Additional layer of customer-keyed AES 256 end-to-end content encryption for
push-to-talk and PLI
Certification • FIPS 140-2 level 3 (pending)
Handset key management • Selection of insecure (link encrypted) or secure (link and end-to-end
encrypted) talkgroups
• User authentication

• Zeroize

Footnotes:
*subject to change
**reduced protection to Iridium PTT network encryption layer only
Interfaces
Power input • 5 to 15 VDC (DC or AC charging adapters)
• USB v2 compatible via cable accessories
Key management • USB device/host port via cable accessories
PLI / C2 input/output • USB interface to PC/tablet
• PLI output (all received stations plus own position, COT or KML)
• C2 I/O (SOS acknowledgement remote cancel)
Audio input/output • Bespoke PTT audio interface for:
- U-229 6 pin military audio connector
- 3.5 mm headset jack (mobile phone earpiece)
- Lightweight ear hanger headset
- Software configurable for other headsets
- Multi-headset compatibility via cable accessories
Internal antennas • Rugged high gain internal Iridium antenna
• Integral GNSS antenna
External Iridium antenna • Optional use of external Iridium antenna
• SMA connector, 50
• Adaptor cable for TNC
SIM card • User-accessible SIM card slot

Power
Battery • Internal rechargeable Li-ion battery pack (non-user accessible)
• 6000 mAh nominal capacity
Mission life • 24hrs continuous talkgroup use on a 8:1:1 duty cycle
Charge time from flat • USB: 6 hours
• 12V vehicle or AC charger: 3 hours

Physical
Dimensions • 170 x 76 x 33 mm (excluding antenna)
Weight • 400g
Material • UL rated PC-ABS with TPE rubber over-mould

Environmental
Temperature • Operating: -10 to +55°C
• Battery Charging: 0 to +55°C
• Storage: -40 to +60°C
Ingress protection • IP66
• IP67 to 1-m immersion
• (IEC/EN 60529)
Vibration • Tested to MIL-STD-810G / Def Stan 00-035 for wheeled/tracked operation &
helicopter transportation
Shock • Tested to MIL-STD-810G / Def Stan 00-035 to 40g/11ms
Air transportation • MIL-STD-810G / Def Stan 00-035 for pressurised/unpressurised transportation
Bracer ™

Communication. Secured.
www.QinetiQ.com/Bracer

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