Security & Policing 2014: Thales secures initial order for Cougar Team Radio
Above:
(left to right) Winston Mahaffy, Director for Radio Communication Products at Thales UK and Martin Dubbey, Managing Director at Dextera Global shaking hands on the agreement at Security & Policing 2014.
©Thales
The new radio, being previewed at Security & Policing, has been developed to address the specific needs of teams working in critical and demanding situations. With a rugged but lightweight design and a range of advanced features, it supports more effective teamwork.
“Cougar Team Radio is an integrated solution for the security market, providing advanced radio features such as GPS positioning and secure connectivity. It tackles the key challenges faced by radio users such as security, flexibility and simplicity.” said Winston Mahaffy, director for Radio Communication Products at Thales UK.
Cougar Team Radio offers built-in GPS positioning. When integrated with an android smartphone, the GPS function allows all team members to be tracked and displayed on a real-time map; connect with an operation centre, and this data can be shared across multiple teams.
To extend its range, the radio can connect securely via 3G and WIFI. For operations in areas without a suitable infrastructure – or where the networks are unavailable, saturated or blocked – Cougar Team Radio can extend the range through its unique relay capability, which can quickly create a ‘daisy chain’ of radios to connect team members.
The ability to connect radios seamlessly together also provides the assurance that all team members are connected and active on the network; each radio that connects to the network is visible to the other team members.
Cougar Team Radio integrates with smartphones enhancing the capability of the radio network but it also allows team members to operate more discreetly via standard consumer devices. The radios are also designed with a small form-factor for discreet operation and to minimise the equipment burden on team members.
All communications made through Cougar Team Radio, including those delivered through smartphones and across other networks, are secured with high-level encryption.
