Military forces throughout history have utilized Combat Identification (IFF) to minimize instances of fratricide on the battlefield.  Today's combat theatres are no exception, and in many instances the most extreme we have seen due to modern weaponries, mixed forces, and a nonlinear/insurgent battlefield.  Today's Combat ID must provide cost effective identification that can be applied to all battlefield assets, in a mixed forces environment, with no or minimal training.

Current Combat ID solutions utilize uniform, passive IR, electronic IR, passive thermal, and to a lesser extent active thermal to mark friendly assets on the battlefield.  While these solutions address the requirement, two issues exist:

Marked Assets can be seen by both friend and enemy

Current IR Markers broadcast at 880 nanometer (nm).  These 880nm transmissions can not be seen with the naked eye, however they can be seen with virtually all deployed platforms of Night Vision Equipment (NVE) including the earliest generation one NVE devices. Historically the US and NATO militaries benefited from a NVE monopoly on the battlefield, however in more recent conflicts we have seen limited instances of today's insurgent/militia adversaries with NVE.

Thermal Imaging equipments ability to see thermally marked assets is significantly effected by the sophistication of the equipment, operator experience, environmental conditions and viewing platform.

Unlike NVE the sophistication of battlefield deployed TIE varies considerably.  Certain TIE systems have the ability to highlight thermal sources (personnel) at considerable range while others are limited in their effective range to less than 100 meters.  Similarly the ability to recognize actively or passively marked assets at varying ranges is also impacted by the sophistication of the TIE in use.

Solution Approach - SWIR

Today s operators would ideally like to have the portability, ease of use, effective range and reliability of today's Phoenix beacon series marking platform coupled with the security of knowing that opposing forces can not view their marked positions and personnel.

Cejay Engineering's Velux Short Wave Infrared (SWIR) solution provides the portability, battery life, size, weight and ease of use of the Phoenix beacon series with the security of a marking signature that can not be seen with conventional 880nm NVE.  The Velux series of programmable and synchronizeable beacons range in output frequency from 950nm to 1550nm.  This output frequency has been tailored to coincide with the newest 950nm range military only NVE equipment being developed as well as some airborne platforms that can view IR in this range.

The Velux product suite was first developed and deployed to the intelligence community in the late 90's where it was a resounding success.  The product suite has been reengineered around a more cost effective package ideally suited for military deployment.  The Velux beacon series can be deployed selectivity by operation or mission thus providing an additional level of security for operational personnel.