New ways to communicate from ground to space and across domains
Summary
Key communications requirements from the Defense Department include resilience in contested radio frequency environments, distributed connectivity across platforms and domains, enhanced security, and rapid upgradability. BAE Systems has demonstrated novel capabilities in these areas to include a software-based waveform for land-to-space communications and sharing of electronic warfare data across tactical datalinks. Breaking Defense talked with Amber Dolan, product line director for Adaptive Communications and Sensing at BAE Systems, about the challenges and complexities of fielding new capabilities on existing platforms and across multiple domains. Any time we can upgrade a capability or integrate a new one in the field versus having to send a system back – if it’s a software-firmware only update rather than requiring a change of hardware – it’s much more efficient and lower cost. The work we’re doing involves upgrades to tactical datalinks, and multifunction capabilities that are fusing comms, electronic warfare, and signals intelligence, and allowing for rapid fielding, lifecycle extension, and accelerating the kill chain.