Underwater and Overland Communications

The Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S) Underwater Electronic Warfare (UEW) Delivery Team (DT) is considering procuring a sub-surface/surface communications system to enable text-based duplex communications between military divers, their safety support vessel and a 3rd party land-based unit. A small, on-the-man, diveable communications system is required to provide secure two-way messaging between divers whilst submerged and their surface safety boat, it must also provide encrypted beyond line of sight messaging via Short Burst Data (SBD) services to a 3rd party land based unit, preferably whilst the divers remain submerged. An easily transportable and suitably marinised boat located on the surface safety vessel must be able to communicate with the submerged divers and automatically relay messages sent between the divers and the 3rd party land-based unit. The system must be user-configurable, easy to operate and not compromise the safety of the military divers equipment.