Custom containers streamline Defence Force land operations

Containers designed to house military communications and IT equipment will streamline and enhance Australian Defence Force (ADF) land operations.

United Rentals worked with the ADF to design and develop four ICT Mobility containers, which hold servers, routers, cabling and back-up power supplies to improve communication, decision-making, and control during operations.

“With drones and infrared detection, communication units are required to be highly mobile and robust,” says Damien Scaf, United Rentals Manager – Technical Solutions (ANZ).

Mr Scaf says the ADF required a solution that could be transported on ADF M40 trucks, deployed easily, and do away with the need to assemble equipment in the field.

“Lengthy set up and pack down times are very restrictive, especially in unpredictable operational environments. Having the ICT systems inside a container not only significantly reduces setup times it also protects the state-of-the-art equipment.”

The new containers also allow equipment to stay set up and be ready to deploy straight away.

Meeting the challenge

To meet the ADF’s strict military training and maneuver timetable, the four units were built with an extremely short deadline.

Additionally, the challenge for United Rentals’ Brisbane-based Technical Solutions team was to fit everything inside the container space and meet building code, fire, and specific military standards.

“It was key to define all the essential requirements and then work out how to fit it into a very confined space that was also capable of being transported by land,” says Mr Scaf.

Robust racks were installed to hold tech gear, power systems fitted, and all-important cooling systems installed to allow the equipment to run inside the container.

“Weight and size were key considerations, and the strength of the container meant it can protect the integrity of the assets inside. But also, strong interlock-ability was essential to ensure the container stays in place even if the vehicle rolls over,” says Mr Scaf.

High level of compliance key

At United Rentals’ ISO-accredited Centre of Excellence in Brisbane, and supported by production facilities across Australia and New Zealand, the Technical Solutions team design and manufacture container products requiring a high level of compliance.

Along with the ICT Mobility containers, other projects completed by United Rentals requiring enhanced compliance expertise include a Personnel Restraint Module (PRM) prototype for the ADF and a prototype custom container housing a data centre.

“The data centre was oversized,” says Dale Garson, General manager – Engineering at United Rentals, “meaning it not only required a customised solution to fit the customer’s equipment, but also to meet strict fire and security requirements and air conditioning standards.”

“We must understand everything from structural standards and ventilation, through to building code and fire standards, as well as dangerous goods and explosive standards. So, there is a continual cycle of learning that goes into container design that enables us to take on new challenges.”

Mr Scaf says the ICT Mobility container project is an example of the never-ending scope of what you can do with shipping containers.

“It’s an incredibly high-tech piece of container kit, but it is also an incredibly convenient and efficient solution which can be deployed quickly and is ready to go immediately,” he says.

Once the project was completed, United Rentals provided the ADF with certification documents covering technical information and safety for the ICT Mobility containers. It also trained ADF staff about how to use and maintain the containers, including setup, pack-down, power systems, cooling, and safety.