Norwegian ships to receive Saab TactiCall integrated comms fit

Saab Danmark is to provide seven new TactiCall integrated communications system fits for Norway. (Saab)

Norway's defence materiel agency (Forsvarsmateriell) has contracted Saab Danmark to supply the company's TactiCall Integrated Communications System (ICS) for three Norwegian vessel classes, Saab announced on 21 December.

The vessel classes include the Royal Norwegian Navy's (RNoN's) Oksoy/Alta-class mine-countermeasures (MCM) vessels and Skjold-class corvettes, and the Norwegian Coast Guard (NCG) Arctic-class vessel Svalbard. Of the 11 ships in these classes, seven will receive a TactiCall fit under the contract. The MCM vessels and corvettes are receiving TactiCall for the first time: Svalbard will receive an upgrade to its existing TactiCall fit.

Deliveries will take place between 2021 and 2024.

According to a statement released by Saab, TactiCall provides a complete communications system covering internal and external communications and multilevel secure communications (including unclassified, national secret, and NATO secret channels). “The TactiCall ICS facilitates the chain of command by giving naval teams access to a variety of communications channels of different security levels from the same user terminal,” Saab said. “With TactiCall, users can listen to a mix of both secure and unclassified communication and simultaneously be able to talk in both.”

Heino Lundgren, CEO of Saab Danmark, told Janes the system is modular and scalable, allowing fits to be tailored to meet customers' specific system architecture and operational requirements.

TactiCall's internal communications capability integrates telephone systems, internal sensors, and intercoms; the external capability encompasses tactical data links, military satcom, VLF/HF/VHF/UHF communications, radio, chat, and message handling. The system's hardware includes multifunction consoles, portable terminals, and tablet- and smart phone-style mobile devices. According to Saab, TactiCall integrates platform communication technologies regardless of radio band, frequency, or hardware.