D-LBO (Digital Landbased Operations)
Digitalisation is considered the dominant and socially defining feature of the present and is undoubtedly the megatrend for the 20th century. So, digitalisation will not only considerably shape the battlefield of the future, but is also key to the modernisation of mobile information supply in the field. Digitisation of Land-Based Operations (D-LBO) is a consistent information network of the deployable and mobile part of the IT systems of the German Armed Forces.
Modern weapon systems like the Puma infantry fighting vehicle or other military platforms use digital sensors and networks to take rapid decisions. Logistics chains become more efficient by intelligent control logic. Powerful signal processing is what makes modern military communication effective. And also the soldier on the battlefield is increasingly becoming a digitalised sensor and effector.
For Thales, this means providing IT services for networked operations in the field of mobile IT and thus opening up new opportunities for the Bundeswehr in modern operations. In practice, this means digital networking of all soldiers and vehicles on the battlefield in a mobile, national and multilateral interoperable network. Internationally, Thales makes an important contribution to ensure the information and communication network that starts at the lowest tactical level with the dismounted soldier and ends at the level of the deployable command post.
TEN (Tactical Edge Networking)
In 2019, the Dutch and German armed forces decided to cooperate in their ongoing projects FOXTROT and DLBO in order to digitise their land forces.
This was a new chapter in the tradition of the armaments cooperation between both countries existing since 1995.
The formerly national projects integrated under the joint project name Tactical Edge Networking (TEN) provide for the definition of common requirements as well as the future aligned procurement of identical equipment and systems. The purpose is to achieve full digital interoperability between both land forces.
If concluded successfully, with the two armies fully interconnected by 2030, TEN would be unprecedented in Europe and in NATO.
The first phase of TEN focuses on the definition and introduction of a uniform radio base.
In upcoming phases, innovative technologies are to be successively and efficiently integrated. This includes future miniaturised hardware components, sensors, and applications in the field of artificial intelligence as well as automation, autonomy and robotics.
A total of up to 25,000 vehicles and up to 155,000 soldiers will then be able to communicate with each other in a network.
The purpose is to equip the force dispositions of the armed forces with new capabilities and to optimally prepare the land forces for missions on the transparent battlefield of digital combat operations.