Saab wins disaster communications contest

Three cheers for Saab

, the recently announced winner of a Danish government innovation competition focussed on improving communication between disaster relief workers. The problem, of course, is that countries that suffer from tsunamis and other such terrible events typically do not have the most robust communications networks to begin with, and whatever they do have is usually knocked out by the disaster itself. Compound this with the interoperability problems that normally incur whenever various agencies try to work together, and it is easy to see why such systems are needed. “One of the biggest challenges of the relief agencies in a disaster situation is, that there is never enough money,” said judge Erik Johnson. “Therefore, communication equipment must be cheap. And easy to operate and transport.”

How the Tacticall works: Saab’s solution operates as a hub connecting different frequencies and modes of transmisison. “We use the strengths of each type of communication and connect them based on the lowest common denominator under the prevailing conditions,” explained Saab’s Henning Christensen. “The field officer will operate as usual, but in reality he has more communication channels at his disposal than before.” In addition, the software offers planning data similar to a GIS system, permitting experts to assess the needs of particular areas and manage logistics. “Thus the total need e.g. within basic health care, logistics etc. can be received and acted upon very fast. Before, this kind of information was managed manually on laminated maps,” said Claus Olsen. The system costs €20,130 per portable unit.