Stay on track and stay on mission

Operational experience from current conflicts shows that, in addition to leadership skills, the ability to accurately track your own soldiers and units' locations, and also have uninterrupted navigational assistance, is essential for mission accomplishment. The smaller and more specialized the respective unit and the more congested the terrain –e.g. in an urban environment, thick forests, or rugged mountains – the more important these capabilities become. 

However, in modern conflicts access to global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) such as GPS can be disrupted or even denied, leaving troops and leaders unable to operate optimally due to an inability to be effectively monitored and coordinated. Besides this, blue force tracking is also necessary in order to avoid possible blue-on-blue 'friendly fire' incidents.

With the SmarTrack system, Elbit Systems offers a modern, field-proven and market-available solution for GNSS-independent blue force tracking and navigation. This easily portable system establishes a reliable connection between dismounted units and displays the exact positions on a conventional handheld device with display. 

SmarTrack also supports radio data transmission between group members and thus also, for example, the future transmission of vital data. This can significantly improve the situational awareness of the entire group. The system helps with the coordinated deployment of up to 100 members within a unit – e.g. as a possible part of the soldier system as part of the German digitalization of land-based operations project (D-LBO). SmarTrack works as a stand-alone solution but also has standardized interfaces and protocols in the works. It can therefore be easily integrated into battle management systems (BMS) such as SitaWare and can also be used jointly with various armed forces in the context of multinational exercises or operations. This technology also opens new strategic possibilities, as effective EW measures can be taken against the enemy's navigation and communication signals without interfering with their own signals or those of friendly forces equipped with SmarTrack.

In addition to its use by military units, SmarTrack is also ideal for supporting specialized police units and emergency services, in situations where neither stable navigation signals nor data connections are available. SmarTrack enables rescue forces to be coordinated effectively, and human lives protected in a wide variety of scenarios.

SmarTrack has been successfully tested and delivered to international customers and Elbit Systems Deutschland also showcased the system during the recent AFCEA trade exhibition in Bonn.