The traditional book of etiquette dictates that diamonds are the symbol of 60 years of marriage. The jewel also seems a fitting icon to represent the 60th anniversary of defence science in Canada, dating back to the establishment of the Defence Research Board (DRB) in 1947.

Like a diamond in the rough, the Communications Research Centre Canada (CRC) evolved from the original DRB to become a sparkling gem in the field of Canadian telecommunications. This year, Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC) is recognizing both CRC and the National Research Council (NRC) as key partners as we collectively pay tribute to the advancement of Canadian defence science through nine months of special events and activities.

DRDC applauds CRC not only as a part of the original DRB, but also for its significant contributions to the design and fabrication of satellites and the advancement of wireless technologies. Just like a multi-sided diamond, there are a variety of major milestones achieved through CRC's research and development efforts that have put Canada on the map for its expertise in the field of advanced communications technology. These milestones or technologies generally fall into two main categories - civilian applications and military applications.

Civilian Applications

In the late fifties and early sixties, the then-Defence Research Telecommunications Establishment (DRTE) spearheaded the Alouette satellite program, making Canada the third country in the world to have a satellite in space. In the wake of Alouette's success, the government expanded communications for civilian purposes, and the CRC was formed.

Later, CRC and the then-Defence Research Establishment Ottawa (DREO) worked together on Search And Rescue Satellite-Aided Tracking (SARSAT). The project involved not only several federal departments, but multiple international players - the United States, France, the Soviet Union as well as Canada. With common specifications and agreement to share each other's satellites, the SARSAT system has helped save many thousands of lives since its launch in 1982.

To read more about the CRC's latest work with SARSAT, see "CRC Scores a Satellite 'Hat Trick' " in Issue 6 of Eye on Technology.

Spectrum Explorer (SE) is another renowned CRC technology with civilian applications. A combination of open software and hardware architectures, SE is used to assess the use and quality of radio spectrum. With development continuing since 1993, SE is now deployed across the country by the regional offices of Industry Canada. In addition to using SE to manage Canada's radio spectrum, Industry Canada's radio inspectors have supported the police by using SE to provide radio surveillance for events such as the Summit of the Americas in Quebec City in 2001, the G20 Summit in Ottawa in 2001, the G8 Summit in Kananaskis, Alberta, in 2002, and more recently the North American Leaders' Summit in Montebello, Quebec, in August 2007.

For more information on the newest version of Spectrum Explorer, see "Spectrum Explorer: Monitoring the Pulse of Canada's Communication System" in Issue 4 of Eye on Technology.

The CRC and DRDC share another technology milestone that is often overlooked - Canada's first connection to what would eventually be known as the Internet. In the spring of 1985, CRC and the Department of National Defence participated in a ceremony to open the Canada/ARPANET gateway, becoming the first network terrestrial connection to the existing ARPANET from outside the United States. This Canada/ARPANET connection and research activities evolved into Canada's first and longest standing national TCP/IP network (the DRENet). The gateway, installed over 20 years ago and used under the supervision of CRC's Dr. J.L. Robinson, was one of the key research building blocks for the future of IP networking in Canada. The network research conducted in 1985 and afterward formed the basis for many subsequent technology areas, such as audio/video applications, CRC's BADLAB and VirtualClassroom, wireless and satellite network communication technologies.

For more information about the ARPANET, visit the CRC Web site.

Military Applications

CRC's research responsibilities have not been strictly civilian; some programs of the then-DRTE were adopted by CRC. While the military's communications research needs have evolved over the years, DRDC remains one of CRC's major clients today.

The Military Digital Analysis System (MiDAS)* is the military version of Spectrum Explorer (SE). It uses the SE technology as the core and augments it with additional capability for signals of military interest. Like SE, MiDAS has also attracted favorable attention and is a key part of the TDP (Technology Development Program) ICEWARS project for the Canadian Army. DRDC Ottawa, with assistance from CRC, has developed a specialized prototype MiDAS system and provided it to the U.S. Marine Corps Systems Command for $1.5 million USD.

Current requirements for military communications R&D include interoperability of communications networks, quality of service, network security and high-capacity wireless systems. The High Capacity Tactical Communications Network (HCTCN) is an example of a partner project between CRC and DRDC. The goal of the HCTCN is to develop an improved tactical radio communications system to meet current and future military requirements.

An experimental system, the HCTCN aims to provide several key improvements while optimizing the flow of data and voice information within bandwidth-constrained wireless networks.

For more information on the HCTCN, see "CRC Radio Project to Improve Military Communications" in Issue 5 of Eye on Technology.

The Directorate Land Command Systems Program Management (DLCSPM) is another joint initiative between CRC and the Department of National Defence (DND). The project evolved when Canada's Land Forces needed to evaluate new wireless communications technologies to fill specific secure broadband wireless needs. CRC's Wireless Applications and Systems Research group (WASR) are involved in the investigation of a potential application called the Joint Tactical Radio Systems (JTRS) Soldier Radio Waveform (SRW), 802.16 WiMAX Broadband Wireless Communications Systems, as well as wireless communications within vehicles. One of the goals of these evaluations is to put advanced communications capabilities into the hands of soldiers, rather than into vehicles, thereby moving towards a network-centric future.

* This system is now called radioSpectrum Warrior.