Defence

INVISIO launch RA5100 tactical comms headset

Posted 16 May 2022

Racal Acoustics and INVISIO launch their first joint product solution for the military – the RA5100 Tactical Communication Headset - which combines the technical expertise and operational knowledge of both companies to provide optimal hearing protection and communications for hybrid missions, protecting troops from the most extreme continuous and impulse noise exposure, whether in a vehicle or on foot.

Image courtesy INVISIO

With over 100 years of military hearing protection expertise, Racal Acoustics has designed market leading hearing protection solutions, using its core digital technology and advanced noise reduction technologies to provide the ultimate headset flexibility, allowing users to select the best protection level appropriate to the mission.

The new RA5100 offers:

Digital Active Noise Reduction ANR mode (SNR 30dB) – to maximise noise attenuation from constant high-level noise i.e. when operating in or around vehicles.
Situational awareness and hear-through mode, including adjustable volume control for extra enhanced hearing in quiet environments, with digital noise compression providing protection from high impulse noises.
Dual hearing protection mode (SNR 41dB) - for extreme noise environments.

As with all INVISIO and Racal Acoustic products, the headset has been designed with the user as the priority and so it is lightweight, comfortable, waterproof (to 1m) and has a left or right microphone mount. The RA5100 is fully military specification compliant, qualified to MIL-STD-810G and MIL-STD-461F, designed to withstand extreme shock and vibrations and harsh electromagnetic environments.

The new RA5100 has a host of advanced features to ensure mission success, ease of use and reduced life cycle costs. The headset is designed for easy integration with industry leading in-service radios, digital devices such as laptops, smart phones and tablets, and is fully interoperable with the INVISIO product range, and has additional PTT and cable options. The headset can be powered from the attached communications device or used stand-alone powered from one internal AA battery. The advanced digital software optimises hearing protection to suit the mission, ensures outstanding voice recognition and speech intelligibility and can be upgraded to adapt to changing vehicle noise profiles. Software upgrades also allow new features to be added, increasing service life and lowering whole-life costs.

Rob Harrison – High Noise Headset Product Manager said: “The new RA5100 is an excellent example of partnership working, combining the expertise of two industry leading organisations to produce a better product. The modern battlefield is a rapidly changing complex environment and the RA5100 is an extremely versatile tactical headset that can be used across the whole spectrum of combat missions, both mounted in vehicles and on foot. The user can also optimiSe situational awareness, critical to the detection, recognition and location of enemy threats, leading to improved communication, lethality and survivability.”