Air Force/Navy/Industry Exercise Tests Future Military Airborne communications Platforms
MELBOURNE, Fla., Feb. 10 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/—Harris Corporation (NYSE:HRS), an international communications and information technology company, has demonstrated the ability of its advanced Highband Networking Radio(TM) to provide high-capacity air-to-air and air-to-ground communications—including streaming video—at ranges of up to 130 nautical miles and at altitudes up to 24,000 feet during the U.S. Air Force CAPSTONE II exercise. The event, conducted September 15-24, 2008 at Patuxent River Naval Air Station in Maryland, was designed to validate the performance and interoperability of technologies that are candidates for future military airborne communications platforms.
The Highband Networking Radio (HNR) hosts the Harris-developed Highband Networking Waveform(TM), which implements robust, agile, full mesh, ad hoc networks for terrestrial and airborne applications. The Highband Networking Waveform (HNW) enables autonomous selection of the best communications path, creating a self-forming, self-healing network where nodes can enter and exit without need for fixed network infrastructure or operator intervention.
"The results of the CAPSTONE II exercise validate the capabilities of the waveform and its use for mesh networking in air-to-air and air-to-ground applications at long ranges," said Wes Covell, president of Defense Programs for Harris Government Communications Systems. "This test also is the first to demonstrate these capabilities onboard aircraft that are operationally relevant to U.S. Air Force and Navy platforms, and to show the ability to interconnect airborne platforms to the U.S. Army's Warfighter Information Network-Tactical (WIN-T) and Future Combat Systems (FCS) platforms."
During CAPSTONE II, two HNRs provided high-capacity, mobile ad hoc communications onboard the Air Force's Paul Revere aircraft and a Navy RC-12 aircraft operating over the Atlantic Ocean and Chesapeake Bay. Two other HNR nodes were deployed at Patuxent River Naval Air Station and at Wallops Island, Virginia. It was the first time the HNR - HNW combination was used in an air- to-air application.
A Harris prototype long-range, Ku-band antenna was used to demonstrate the HNW's full mesh capability and long-range network functionality. During the testing, the HNR interoperated with several different systems, including Tactical Common Data Link (TCDL) and Tactical Targeting Network Technology (TTNT), demonstrating its ability to exchange data with diverse communications systems and to co-exist on the same platforms without interference.
The Highband Networking Radio integrates directive-beam technology with mobile, ad hoc mesh networking and achieves burst data rates of up to 54 Mbps. HNR has been implemented on a variety of fixed-wing, rotary-wing, and airship platforms, including piloted aircraft and Unmanned Aircraft Systems. Applications of the Highband Networking Waveform and the HNR extend to a variety of scenarios, including terrestrial tactical communications augmented by air-to-ground and air-to-air nodes, as well as air and missile defense missions. They also can be used to extend the battlespace network into the maritime force contingent, connecting expeditionary forces, near-shore support, and blue-water platforms. The Highband Networking Radio was co- developed with BAE Systems.
Harris Defense Programs develops, supplies, and integrates communications and information processing products, systems, and networks for a diverse base of aerospace, terrestrial and maritime applications supporting U.S. Department of Defense missions. Harris is committed to delivering leading-edge technologies that support the military's ongoing transformation to network- centric communications.
Source: Harris Corporation