COPENHAGEN, DENMARK — Hearing aid maker, GN Store Nord, announced today that it has developed a new hearing protection device that allows soldiers to communicate on the battlefield, while also protecting their hearing. GN says that it will begin participating in military tenders in the US and with other NATO-countries this year, but says the new business initiative “will not impact GN’s financial guidance for 2018”.
The new device “provides noise protection, while giving 360 degree sound identification and integration with military radio technology”.
“In a war situation, it’s essential to be able to hear where voices are coming from, where the sounds you need are coming from” —Anders Hedegaard, GN ReSound CEO, in comments to Reuters
According to the company, the new product line will use the name GN FalCom, and include the following:
- Comfort – designed for optimal physical comfort allowing for multiple hours of use in extreme combat situations
- Clarity – enables users to localize sounds all around them without the need to remove the earpiece. To maintain high quality communications at all times, GN FalCom will integrate seamlessly with military radio technology
- Protection – allowing users to stay connected while benefitting from noise protection. For example, users will experience the highest level of safety without blocking out wanted sounds
GN says that it will produce the devices at its U.S. manufacturing site in Bloomington, Minnesota. However, it did not provide further details of the device or disclose the expected pricing.
“If by the end of 2018, we see that this worked I don’t see why we shouldn’t continue at full speed and expand to other countries and new business areas,” said CEO, Anders Hedegaard.