The Brazilian Army has awarded Thales contracts for the delivery of Sotas communication systems for various vehicle programs, such as the new Guarani vehicle, the Cascavel, the M113 and the Urutu refurbishment programs. The systems will be delivered in June 2014. A transfer of maintenance to the end-user is part of the contract.
A first batch of Sotas systems was purchased in 2011 to be tested in various armored vehicles. Division General Antonino dos Santos Guerra Neto, the Brazilian Army’s Commander of Communications and Electronic Warfare – CCOMGEX, stated that the Sotas system has been tested in a range of operational situations and has met CCOMGEX’s stringent requirements in every respect. Sotas was selected thanks to its superior performance, its modularity that enables easy upgrades, its world-wide references and its ease of operation.
Sotas is the centre of all voice and data communications in the Guarani, integrating various sensors, data terminals and radios. The Guarani program has a potential of more than 2,000 vehicles.
“With the lion’s share of the region’s defence spending, Brazil is building one of the most advanced military apparatus in the world and their renewed confidence in Thales is proof that whenever critical Defence decisions are made, we are the partner of choice. Sotas is one of the most advanced communication solutions for the digitization of the battlespace and will enable Brazilian Forces to dramatically increase situational awareness at all levels of the command structure.”
Sotas vehicle communication systems are integrated end-to-end communication and information networks, supporting shared situational awareness at all levels of command, from the operations room to infantry in the field.
The Sotas product family consists of modular components that can be assembled and scaled to provide optimal configurations for all vehicle types and missions. This unique building block approach provides great flexibility and logistical advantages for supporting the broad spectrum of wheeled and tracked military tactical vehicles.
Thales delivers tailor-made solutions to every customer, using proven off-the-shelf Sotas building blocks. Installed Sotas systems can easily be upgraded when new requirements with respect to system size and functionality emerge. Upgrades are performed with minimal impact on the existing installation.
