Bittium started deliveries of Tactical Bittium Tough SDR handheld radios to Finnish army.

Volume deliveries for Bittium Tough SDR Handheld radios have begun. The product deliveries are based on a Purchase Agreement signed in December 2018 according to which Bittium will supply the Finnish Defence Forces with Tough SDR Handheld and Vehicular radios and their accessories. The value of the Purchase Agreement is approximately EUR 10.5 million. The volume deliveries for the Bittium Tough SDR Vehicular radios are estimated to start during the second half of 2020.

Bittium Tough SDR Handheld radio (Picture source: Bittium)

The modern software-defined Bittium Tough SDR radios enable broadband data transfer and the radios support the reformed combat doctrine of the Finnish Defence Forces. At the first phase, the Tough SDR radios will be used by the Army and the radios will replace the analogical field radios in phases. A part of the performance of the software-defined radios will be created through the waveform software used in the radio. This way the performance of the radios can be developed throughout their whole life cycle with software development. Bittium Tough SDR radios are compatible with the software-defined Bittium Tactical Wireless IP Network (TAC WIN) system already used by the Finnish Defence Forces.

According to the Purchase Agreement, the Finnish Defence Forces have an option to purchase additional tactical radios and their accessories, training and system management for the use of the Army, Air Force and Navy. If the optional additional purchase amounts materialize in full, the total value would be approximately EUR 207 million at the maximum. There will be separate purchase orders for the optional additional purchases.

Bittium Tough SDR product family

Bittium Tough SDR product family of tactical radios consists of Bittium Tough SDR Handheld™, tactical handheld radio for individual soldiers, and Bittium Tough SDR Vehicular™, tactical radio for vehicle installations. Bittium Tough SDR radios help to produce and share real-time situational awareness (location, image, voice, video, and sensor data) at all levels of the organization. This improves the performance and the effectiveness of the tactical troops, and leading the troops is easier based on the up-to-date situational awareness and more reliable connections. The uniquely wide range of frequency bands in the radios improves combat survivability. Using several waveforms such as Bittium TAC WIN, Bittium Narrowband and ESSOR High Data Rate waveforms, even simultaneously, improves compatibility and enables operations on different levels and missions. Together with the SDR based Bittium Tactical Wireless IP Network (TAC WIN) system, used for forming a tactical broadband mobile IP backbone network, it is possible to bring broadband data and voice to all mobile troops across the battlefield, all the way from brigade level to an individual fighter.

Bittium Tough SDR Handheld and Vehicular radios (Picture source: Bittium)