Warfighters on the battlefield will have a persistent wireless broadband network available for tactical use with a new MONAX communications system from Lockheed Martin that combines the convenience of smartphone technology with the power and flexibility of a secure, highly portable network infrastructure.

"With the MONAX system, we'll be able to place smartphone technology in the hands of warfighters with a private network they can take anywhere," said Gerry Fasano, President of Lockheed Martin Information Systems and Global Solutions-Defense.

"This affordable system will reduce time spent searching for information, improve battlefield communications and situational awareness, and increase mission effectiveness through more informed decision making."

The MONAX communications system connects a commercial off-the-shelf smartphone to a ground or airborne 3G base station with a MONAX Lynx portable sleeve, enabling the warfighter's use of a single, convenient, touch screen device for mission success at "the first tactical mile."

The system is frequency flexible, connects hundreds of users to a single base station, and delivers superior range and link performance in voice, video and data transmission. The network uses a secure RF link, protected through exportable encryption for joint and coalition operations.

Lockheed Martin also offers a rich set of applications and governance, leveraging smartphone application development and application store model.

Applications are available for mission reporting, situational awareness, command and control, facial recognition for checkpoint use, cyber security situational awareness and protection, and enterprise intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) data access.

The MONAX products are available on the General Services Administration schedule purchasing vehicle and directly from Lockheed Martin.