MUMBLE IN THE JUNGLE
Asian Military Review|February 2020
Rainforests and tactical radios don’t get on. Fortunately, help is at hand in ensuring armies can communicate more easily in thick vegetation.
Thomas Withington
MUMBLE IN THE JUNGLE

Jungle radio communication is severely handicapped by radio wave absorption, wherever radio waves must propagate for a considerable distance through the dense, moist jungle vegetation,” noted the United States Army’s Tactical Jungle Communications Study. This document was published in 1968, three years after the commencement of overt US involvement in the ongoing Vietnam War; a conflict occurring in a country where almost 48 percent of her terrain was covered by jungle.

Rainforests create nightmares for conventional Very/Ultra High Frequency (V/UHF: 30MHz to three gigahertz/ GHz) tactical communications. V/UHF communications have a Line-of-Sight (LOS) range. For example, a V/UHF antenna placed three metres (ten feet) above the ground will have a range of approximately seven kilometres (4.4 miles). Yet this line-of-sight range presumes nice, flat open space with no obstacles that could conceivably obstruct the journey of these communications. With its tree canopy and abundant flora such luxuries are not available in jungles. Another US Army document published while the Vietnam War was ongoing examining field artillery techniques stated that jungle vegetation can reduce V/UHF radio ranges between 10 percent and 60 percent. Such reductions cause problems not only for soldiers, squads and platoons to communicate with one another, but also for ground-to-air/air-to-ground communications.

Dean Booker, Codan’s business development director for tactical communications, served with the British Army’s Royal Corps of Signals and is highly familiar with the challenges jungles cause for tactical communications:

Diese Geschichte stammt aus der February 2020-Ausgabe von Asian Military Review.

Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.

Diese Geschichte stammt aus der February 2020-Ausgabe von Asian Military Review.

Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.

WEITERE ARTIKEL AUS ASIAN MILITARY REVIEWAlle anzeigen
SMART MUNITIONS INCREASE MARKET SHARE
Asian Military Review

SMART MUNITIONS INCREASE MARKET SHARE

Top attack munitions are now widely developed for different artillery calibers with varied ranges.

time-read
10 Minuten  |
June/July 2021
NEXT GEN NVGS - A CLEAR IMPROVEMENT
Asian Military Review

NEXT GEN NVGS - A CLEAR IMPROVEMENT

Fused and enhanced night-vision technology will make the difference to soldiers fighting at night.

time-read
8 Minuten  |
June/July 2021
MILITARY ROTORCRAFT DEVELOPMENT - NO MORE ‘STOVEPIPES'
Asian Military Review

MILITARY ROTORCRAFT DEVELOPMENT - NO MORE ‘STOVEPIPES'

New rotorcraft are going to come with new abilities founded on open systems that provide easier upgrade paths and cheaper through life costs.

time-read
8 Minuten  |
June/July 2021
INDO PACIFIC UAV DIRECTORY 2021
Asian Military Review

INDO PACIFIC UAV DIRECTORY 2021

The development of unmanned aerial vehicles is growing apace, especially in China. New longer range ISR platforms are also on the procurement list of several nations.

time-read
10+ Minuten  |
June/July 2021
TIME TO RESET TRILATERAL RELATIONS
Asian Military Review

TIME TO RESET TRILATERAL RELATIONS

United States President Joe Biden has made it a top priority of his Administration to repair and re-energize global alliances during its first year in power. This is a necessary strategic and political calculus made in light of growing global security, public health, and environmental challenges that will require cooperation and multilateral contributions. President Trump’s ‘America first’ policy did much to undermine confidence in such relationships over his time in office.

time-read
3 Minuten  |
June/July 2021
SOCPAC KEEN TO SHARE JOINT DOCTRINE AND TRAINING
Asian Military Review

SOCPAC KEEN TO SHARE JOINT DOCTRINE AND TRAINING

The return of Great Power competition means that US SOCPAC is more than ever seeking joint training opportunities with regional special forces.

time-read
9 Minuten  |
June/July 2021
MARINE ENGINE POWER - NOT JUST ABOUT KNOTS
Asian Military Review

MARINE ENGINE POWER - NOT JUST ABOUT KNOTS

Navies not only want more engine power, there are also coming under increasing pressure to become environmentally conscious.

time-read
9 Minuten  |
June/July 2021
AMPHIBIOUS FORCES
Asian Military Review

AMPHIBIOUS FORCES

New amphibious concepts are re-shaping marine forces to break the A2AD defensive line.

time-read
9 Minuten  |
June/July 2021
SPACE V AIRBORNE ISR OR MIX AND MATCH
Asian Military Review

SPACE V AIRBORNE ISR OR MIX AND MATCH

Owning satellite based ISR for military use is still an exclusive ‘club’, but airborne ISR still provides that most countries need.

time-read
9 Minuten  |
April/May 2021
SHIPBUILDING - A NUMBERS GAME
Asian Military Review

SHIPBUILDING - A NUMBERS GAME

While experience grows among Indo-Pacific naval designers, order numbers remain crucial to keeping costs down and yards in business.

time-read
10+ Minuten  |
April/May 2021