French Navy Special Operation Forces (SOF) take delivery of a powerful new loudhailer for maritime and military crisis situations

Able to broadcast crystal clear live spoken word, pre-recorded messages and alerting sounds over extreme distances of up to half a kilometer, Superhailer Marine-Military has been developed in cooperation with the French Navy for managing interdiction and search-and-rescue operations. 

Designed to help in seaborne drug enforcement and search-and-rescue operations where clear communication can save lives, a revolutionary wearable acoustic loudhailer has been developed. Sound specialist Superhailer has launched a ruggedized loudhailer that doubles the volume and range of its previous device, allowing marine and military special-forces to communicate with targets at vast distances.

Developed with the help of the French Navy SOF, who are also the first customer for the new product, Superhailer Marine-Military is a wearable, highly-directional loudhailer that is capable of delivering clear messages up to an incredible 500m with amazing clarity. The units have been ruggedized, and are now resistant to salt spray ingress, while maintaining easy-to-use and featuring automatic safety limiter to prevent damage to hearing (even at point blank range), as well as automatic evidence recording.

The units have been designed to help save lives. Special Operations Forces on drug enforcement duties take extreme risks when approaching vessels – where those on board may be heavily armed. Thanks to up to 1,000 pre-recorded messages, the ability to communicate clear commands in multiple languages to targets at a safe distance can significantly reduce misinterpretation that can lead to conflict. Similarly, with stricken vessels or migrant refugee boats, the ability to approach without causing confusion or ambiguity will afford greater confidence and reduce anxiety or misinterpretation, possibly saving lives. It can also help on land, in peacekeeping, disaster management and even hostage situations.

Superhailer Marine-Military is believed to be the most powerful wearable loudhailer in the world, with much easier aiming/directional targeting than loudspeakers mounted on ships or tripod based systems. Superhailer Marine-Military’s ability to be worn means it can be used by SOF, Navy, Marines and Coastguard on small vessels, especially high speed RIBS etc.

Developed over two years and incorporating refined transducer and waveguide technology that doubles the maximum volume, and therefore range, Superhailer Marine-Military builds on Superhailer Homeland, which is in use in North America, Western Europe and the Middle East, with the Rotterdam Police among its customers.

The details: how it works

Unlike some other loudhailers that can be harmful to people’s hearing if used incorrectly Superhailer Marine-Military is designed to be always safe and never expose individuals to volume levels that may impair hearing. The volumes it projects are loud and compelling, but not damaging to hearing – to the user, bystanders or the target individuals.

Also unlike other loudhailers, Superhailer Marine-Military is designed so that the operator need not decide upon the volume level required. They simply aim the device at the target individuals and press the trigger button – at which point an inbuilt laser range finder instantly measures the distance to the target. This information is fed to the onboard safety limiter that ensures the maximum volume is within safe limits.

Another key feature of the Superhailer Marine-Military is its ability to direct its messages in a very tight beam of penetrating sound. This allows the user to selectively and precisely target an individual or individuals, even at great distances. Its narrow sound cone emits a beam of sound between just +/-7.5 degrees ahead of the device. Outside of this beam the volume drop-off is rapid. Outside of the beam bystanders can hear the device, but at a low level. Step into the beam, however, and the sound intensity increases dramatically.

Superhailer Marine-Military automatically records video, location and sound data when in use. The unit’s video camera provides a live feed to the user via a clear LCD display which makes accurate aiming easy. Further, whenever the device is activated the device records the feed from the camera onto an internal removable USB drive. Whenever the device transmits an audio broadcast the previous 30 seconds of camera footage is included in this video file to provide context-of-use. The following 60 seconds is also recorded. The unit incorporates GPS that – when combined with the range finder and on-board exposure calculations – creates a complete record of use for each trigger press: information that may prove useful for review purposes after the event.

Credit: Navy Special Operations Forces