The Valkyries – Help From Above

On 9/11 almost every communication system in Lower Manhattan failed in some manner. In fact, even the few government systems that continued to work, did not actually function as intended for complete emergency system command and control. Three years later in 2004, hurricane Katrina showed that the basic infrastructure of both the emergency and civilian communication systems used by government (as well as commercial systems used by the general population) were still quite vulnerable to natural disasters. It also showed that extremely large disasters can hobble the emergency services and disaster relief response of any country – even America. If the richest nation in the world cannot keep communication systems online after large scale emergencies or natural disasters, what chance do smaller, undeveloped or evolving nations have for keeping vital communications open when something like this happens? And more importantly, if the United States cannot effectively marshal disaster relief efforts for massive large scale emergencies in less than a few days, then smaller countries have no chance of doing a better job. Unfortunately, the recent earthquakes in Haiti and Chilé show exactly how much death and destruction can be experienced in a large scale disaster on smaller and underdeveloped nations. And these incidents also highlight the inadequacy of emergency communication infrastructure and the slow response of relief efforts in these type of countries during these types of large scale disasters.

To address these issues, we introduce the Valkyries, a not-for-profit company that provides rapid response emergency communication infrastructure and capabilities, high definition aerial imaging including infrared and thermal reconnaissance along with state-of-the-art remote telepresence K9 search and rescue services to any natural disaster or large scale emergency anywhere in the world. The Valkyries are structured on the rapid response capabilities of the Delta Force and are capable of putting aerial assets into any theater in North or South America within 12 hours and anywhere in the world within 24 hours. The services cover three discreet areas and the capabilities can be deployed individually:

1. emergency communication,
2. aerial reconnaissance,
3. remote telepresence K9 search and rescue.

The heart of the system is the ESTR-Com platform (Emergency Services Tactical Remote Communication system). Pronounced estercom, this proprietary system was developed by Lucian Randolph from systems he designed for use by military special operations and is based on a concept similar to AWACS. Commonly used now, AWACS is an airborne system used to provide battlefield and theater-wide radar and communications. The system routes all radar, reconnaissance and communications through airborne assets and requires no permanent ground-based infrastructure. Hence the usefulness in battle – nothing that happens on the ground or sea can disrupt air communication. Therefore, command and control can be maintained.

Like AWACS, the ESTR-Com uses an airborne mounted radio transmitting system called the Air-Tower platform. Utilizing state-of-the-art very light jets (VLJs) mounted with high resolution geo-stabilized optical imaging equipment and transmitting equipment for the ESTR-Com, the Air-Tower plane can provide live aerial reconnaissance and secure communications to ground based personnel without the need for any land based communication infrastructure. The ESTR-Com system uses special, two-way video “walkie-talkies” called PVC’s (Personnel Video Communicators) that are issued to each individual involved in any aspect of the emergency services being provided at the site of any type of disaster or large scale emergency (i.e. search and rescue personnel, police, paramedics, firefighters and hospital personnel). Other larger tablet devices called MCT’s (Mobile Command Terminals) and larger desktop BCS’s (Base Command Stations) are all connected via an adaptable digital command system to each individual PVC. The Mobile Command Terminal is used in the field or vehicle to monitor and command a set of PVC’s. Base Command Stations can be installed in whatever command and administration headquarters that are set up by whatever groups are responding to the incident. Base Stations can also be installed in still operational hospitals and other facilities where logistical database or digital government resource access is needed. All of the devices and systems are hardened, data-capable, self-contained and (unlike any commercial technology available anywhere in the world) the ESTR-Com does not require any ground-based backhaul or networks to operate – because the entire infrastructure is mounted inside the Air-Tower plane. During deployment in an emergency, even if the ground station equipment goes offline, the ESTR-Com equipment can communicate point-to-point between units on the ground by using only the airborne transmitting plane.

The Air-Tower planes fly at 41,000 feet altitude which is far above most weather and they can fly around anything that reaches into their orbit path by side-stepping up to nine miles from orbit center. At this height, a single plane can observe and transmit to over 15,000 square miles, far greater than any land-based transmitter and the aerial imaging capabilities are 200 times stronger than our largest military spy satellites. Unlike satellites, which are based from several hundred to over 22,000 miles in altitude, the close position of the Air-Tower plane to the ground (under 8 miles) means the signals are not significantly affected by weather. And unlike terrestrial towers, nothing that happens on the ground can take the Air-Tower offline. It is this resistant, resilient and redundant capability that is fundamental as a emergency communication network and is unique to the Air-Tower and the ESTR-Com platform.

The final capability of the Valkyries is search and rescue. Utilizing advanced telepresence equipment deployed on highly trained reconnaissance dogs allows human handlers to remotely command packs of these K9 Valkyries. Dogs are routinely used in disaster relief for finding survivors and bodies. However, Valkyrie dogs are trained to search without a human at their side and can cover terrain that humans cannot. Originally designed by Lucian for DARPA and the Pentagon, the advanced electronics package deployed on the backpacks of the dogs in combination with the dogs advanced senses allow our packs of K9 Valkyries to quickly identify and flag any and all human presence faster, safer and more effectively than any human contingent of searchers. Once victims are located, the Valkyries have a military trained extraction team capable of performing rescues in land or water. In coordination with whatever relief or government authority is operating, the Valkyries can provide everything from advice to assistance to actually performing the most complex rescues.

The business structure of the Valkyries is a 501C3 providing donated services for no cost. This means we need a large endowment to cover the cost of acquiring, maintaining and deploying the logistical and operational equipment and personnel to provide the services. Although the equipment, tactics and procedures for the Valkyries came from current U.S. Military Special Forces capabilities, in order to provide the services for free and to maintain rapid response capability, no military equipment from any country can be used as an integral part of deployment. The Valkyries must function as an independent entity that is not tied to any government or country. Our goal is to become something like Special Forces for disasters. We want to be “first in” by providing aerial reconnaissance immediately. We want to be “first on the ground” and establish a communication command and control system and then provide assistance, information and coordination with whatever organizations show up to help. Then, if needed or requested, we want to provide a state-of-the-art unequaled search and rescue capability in cooperation with overall objectives.

The strength of a system like the Valkyries to provide emergency disaster assistance to smaller, undeveloped or evolving nations lies in the three aspects of their capabilities. First is the rapid response capability of providing aerial reconnaissance. The Valkyries Air-Tower planes are on stand-by 24 hours a day and are capable of reaching anywhere in North or South America in under 12 hours or anywhere in the world in 24 hours. Once there, constant reconnaissance will provide the first images of the entire situation. Until the lone cameraman and his helicopter pilot began broadcasting pictures and video, many people refused to believe the news of New Orleans flooding after Katrina. In the case of an undeveloped nation like Haiti, which has limited infrastructure to begin with, it took several days of leaking out photos and reports before the world realized the extent of the devastation and began relief efforts. The Valkyries can provide live high resolution video of the entire incident area because each plane can view thousands of square miles from its vantage point 41,000 feet above the ground. In addition to providing the necessary public awareness, this footage can be sold to news agencies and groups to offset some amount of the operations costs of deployment. Once the overall imaging of the incident area is performed, the Valkyries tactical operations center (TOC) can establish arrangements with the nearest airfield capable of hosting the Air-Tower air-wing complement.

Second, by immediately deploying the Air-Tower crew, support and backup systems to this nearby airfield, 24/7 communication and reconnaissance capabilities can be maintained for the entirety of the incident relief effort or until local communication infrastructure can be returned. The goal of the Valkyries is not to provide command and control (CNC), but to provide the CNC communication infrastructure to whatever agencies and groups respond to the incident. Our ESTR-Com equipment is designed from military-grade Special Forces communication gear and can operate independently of any other radio or telecommunication networks. Plus each PVC (personnel video communicator) contains a locator chip that is in constant contact with the Air-Tower plane overhead. Once a PVC is issued to an individual, that person is locatable anywhere in a 15,000 square mile area around the incident. By providing these communicators free of charge to anyone from any of the relief, rescue or aid groups that are working in the active incident area, we can guarantee that no additional personnel losses should occur. Groups would be free to use their own communication gear as well, but without expensive self broadcasting equipment (or a working infrastructure like the ESTR-Com) the capabilities of any such private network would be limited in performance. Additionally, the Valkyries can deploy MCT (mobile command terminal) devices and command base-stations to provide seamless interoperability between all first-responder organizations on the incident site and any appropriate government or medical facilities anywhere within the reach of the Air-Tower.

Third, utilizing the imaging capabilities of the Air-Tower and the unique capabilities of the telepresence equipment mounted on the backpacks of highly trained military-type dogs, handlers can remotely command them in packs to perform search and rescue for survivors by going places humans cannot go. These dogs and equipment are not available anywhere outside the U.S. military and were invented by Lucian Randolph for DARPA to be used for combat border patrol and military personnel tracking. The capability it provides for finding humans is unequaled. Used in combination with a small but highly trained rescue and extraction team and the K9 Valkyries and their Valkyrie handlers are capable of directly increasing the number of people who survive, because they will find and save them before anyone else can get to them.

The Valkyries provide emergency disaster assistance but are not meant to be everything or to be able to provide everything. Instead, the Valkyries are a rapid reactionary force aimed at setting up the communication infrastructure necessary to perform a proper relief and rescue effort and then providing information, reconnaissance and rescue assistance in that effort until the situation has stabilized. Our communication gear is not designed to be left behind as a permanent solution. Even during the emergency, the Valkyries are not a replacement for any other organization or group involved in disaster relief and rescue.

The purpose of the Valkyries is simple… help from above.