SlingShot Tactical Operations Centre System (STOCS) gets UHF commercial band upgrade thereby increasing the flexibility and utility.
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Press Release, Hereford, 20 July 2023: Spectra Group, the specialist provider of secure voice, data and satellite communications systems has expanded the capability of its battle proven SlingShot Tactical Operations Centre System (STOCS) to include the low UHF commercial band (410– 440Mhz) thereby increasing the flexibility and utility of this robust and reliable SlingShot system.
The concept for STOCS was born from a specialist military user’s requirement to remote the antenna away from the user’s radio, such as in a tactical headquarters/operations room, to enhance the user’s protection or where it was required due to the configuration of a mobile platform. First launched in October 2020, the STOCS hardware consists of a hub, power unit, cable reel and antenna which is British built to military standards and hence ruggedised and weatherproofed (IP67) to enable the user to leave it in a more exposed position, without any risk of damaging the electronics due to adverse weather.
Since its launch, over 120 specialist and regular units across land, sea and air domains from over ten different countries globally (including NATO members) have purchased and operationally proven the benefits of adding STOCS to their SlingShot portfolio. When fitted it allows users to maximise all the existing benefits of Spectra Group’s award winning and combat proven SlingShot – quickly, efficiently and securely communicating beyond line of sight (BLOS) and, if needed, while on the move (COTM) while at the same time having the flexibility to operate the radio up to 35 metres from the antenna. In partnership with Inmarsat’ L-TAC satellite link service for the last 10 years, there are now over 7000 SlingShot systems in use with government forces globally, all capitalising on the capability to create strategic communications for secure voice and data, without the need to purchase new radios and hence minimising the training burden for security forces. The inclusion of commercial band UHF to the existing military VHF/UHF capability therefore significantly enhances Slingshot’s interoperability and flexibility in deployment, for all types of organisation requiring secure rapidly deployable satellite communications in austere environments around the world.
Simon Davies, CEO of Spectra Group said: “we pride ourselves at Spectra Group in delivering reliable and secure communications to those that need it most in the most austere and demanding of locations. The addition of commercial band UHF to the STOCS capability is just another innovation to meet our customer’s operational demands and increases the overall SlingShot offering. The design follows the remainder of the SlingShot family in that it is extremely simple for the user to set up, operate and requires no configuration.”
About Spectra Group (UK) Ltd: Spectra has a proven record of accomplishment – with over 20 years of experience in delivering solutions for governments around the globe; elite militaries; and private enterprises of all sizes. As a dynamic, agile, security accredited organisation, Spectra can leverage this experience to deliver Cyber Advisory and secure Hosted and Managed Solutions on time, to spec and on budget, ensuring compliance with industry standards and best practices. Spectra’s gold-level partnerships with third-party vendors ensure best value and leading-edge technology is used. On 23 November 2017, Spectra Group (UK) Ltd announced that it had recently been listed as a Top 100 Government SME Supplier for 2015-2016 by the UK Crown Commercial Services. Spectra Group (US) Inc was established in 2018 to directly support the US market.
- Spectra Group were awarded the 5-year contact to be the UK distributor of Troposcatter COMET for US company COMTECH Systems Inc in late 2019. COMTECH is a leading global provider of next-generation 911 emergency systems and critical wireless and satellite communication technologies.
- Spectra’s CEO, Simon Davies, was awarded 2017 Businessman of the Year by Battlespace magazine.
- Spectra was awarded the prestigious Queen’s Award for Enterprise (Innovation) in 2019 for SlingShot.
- Founded in 2002, the Company is based in Hereford, UK and holds ISO 9001:2015, ISO 27001 and Cyber Essentials Plus accreditation.
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