Telepresence tech to cheer Afghan troops

Nato is using high-end videoconferencing tech to boost morale for service men and women serving in Afghanistan.

Nato is in Afghanistan as part of the Afghanistan Compact, a five-year plan between the Afghan government and the international community to boost the security, governance and economic development of the country, following the 2001 US-led invasion.

A Cisco TelePresence System CTS-1000 model unit has been installed at Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe - the central command of allied operations - near Mons, Belgium, with another in Kabul, to enable frontline troops to have 'virtual meetings' with loved ones and relatives thousands of miles away.

Nato's Director Lieutenant General, Ulrich H M Wolf, said in a statement: "Being able to give our frontline service people the impression of actually being in the same room as their loved ones many miles away is a powerful morale booster."

The Cisco TelePresence system has been installed by BT and General Dynamics C4 Systems and connects via X-band satellite.

Back in July, the MoD said it was considering trialling telepresence tech to offset its travel budget.