The Iris Digital Communications System, also known as the Tactical Command, Control, and Communications System (TCCCS), is a tactical communication system used by the

Canadian Army The Canadian Army () is the command (military formation), command responsible for the operational readiness of the conventional ground forces of the Canadian Armed Forces. It maintains regular forces units at bases across Canada, and is also re ...

. It was a pioneering system that integrated voice and data communications via the

Internet Protocol The Internet Protocol (IP) is the network layer communications protocol in the Internet protocol suite for relaying datagrams across network boundaries. Its routing function enables internetworking, and essentially establishes the Internet. IP ...

and ST-II protocol. Elements of the Iris system, together with the High-capacity data radio, later formed the foundation of the British Army's Bowman communications system. The Iris system was originally conceived in the early 1970s, with a contract signed to Computing Devices Canada (now

General Dynamics General Dynamics Corporation (GD) is an American publicly traded aerospace and defense corporation headquartered in Reston, Virginia. As of 2020, it was the fifth largest defense contractor in the world by arms sales and fifth largest in the Unit ...

) as system integrator in April 1991. The complete Iris system was delivered to the

Department of National Defence A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is the part of a government responsible for matters of defence and military forces, found in states where the government is divided ...

in November 2003, for a total cost of $2 billion Canadian. Iris is an integrated voice and data distribution system that provides secure and survivable communications. It provides end-to-end services across a variety of tactical radios, telephones, computers, and fiber-optic, wireless, and satellite networks. All told, the Iris system integrates more than 200 types of equipment, including 15,000 radios, 1,500 data terminals, and three major software applications. Its components are installed in approximately 5,000 armored and soft-skinned vehicles. Major Iris subsystems are as follows: * Combat Net Radios (CNR) - a full range of tactical radios supporting voice and data communications in the HF, VHF, and

UHF Ultra high frequency (UHF) is the ITU designation for radio frequencies in the range between 300 megahertz (MHz) and 3 gigahertz (GHz), also known as the decimetre band as the wavelengths range from one meter to one tenth of a meter ...

bands, including combat net radios, point-to-point, ship-to-shore, air-ground-air, and long range radios. This radio equipment can be deployed in vehicles, ships, or manpack configurations. * Information Distribution System (IDS) - the heart of the Iris System, as it integrates all the components into a unified tactical command, control, and communications network. It serves users at all levels of command in a variety of vehicle configurations, including formation headquarters, tactical command posts, certain armored vehicles, and other selected command vehicles. Its network routers were designed and implemented by

BBN Technologies Raytheon BBN (originally Bolt, Beranek and Newman, Inc.) is an American research and development company based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. In 1966, the Franklin Institute awarded the firm the Frank P. Brown Medal, in 1999 BBN received the ...

under subcontract to Computing Devices Canada. * Iris Trunk System (ITS) - extends the range of tactical communications to strategic, allied, or commercial networks. It operates over fibre optic cables and

and SHF Line-of-Sight Radio Relays. * Long Range Communications System (LRCS) - provides extended range communications to commanders in the field via

satellite A satellite or an artificial satellite is an object, typically a spacecraft, placed into orbit around a celestial body. They have a variety of uses, including communication relay, weather forecasting, navigation ( GPS), broadcasting, scient ...

and HF facilities * Iris System Management (ISM) - supports communication management functions, with subsystems including the Communication Management System, Cryptographic Material Management System, and IDS Network Management System. * Tactical Message Handling System (TMHS) - e-mail and messaging services, with a

store and forward Store and forward is a telecommunications technique in which information is sent to an intermediate station where it is kept and sent at a later time to the final destination or to another intermediate station. The intermediate station, or node in ...

capability for mobile users.

References

* "Canadian digitization: radical beginning and pragmatic follow-on", Terrill Kim Grant, ''Proc. SPIE'' 4037, ''Digitization of the Battlespace V and Battlefield Biomedical Technologies II'', 4 August 2000. {{doi, 10.1117/12.395031 * "An Opaque Window: An Overview of Some Commitments Made by the Government of Canada Regarding the Department of National Defence and the Canadian Forces, 1 January 2000 – 31 December 2004", pages 20–25. * Iris Digital Communications System. * "Seamless communications: the challenge of tactical command and control", ''Military and Aerospace Electronics'', January 1, 1997. * "U.K. Communications On Target", ''Signal'', November 2001. * ''Frontline'', vol 9, no. 3, 2012. Military communications of Canada