Program Summary
Modern expeditionary military missions generate and exchange massive amounts of data that are used to produce situational awareness and guide decision-making. Much of the data must travel long distances along backbone communications networks composed of high-capacity links that interconnect command centers. While optical fiber services can provide a multi-gigabit data backbone in many parts of the world, modern expeditionary forces require a similar capability in places where fiber access does not exist. SATCOM services can provide some capacity to remote areas, but cannot provide the capacity needed to support the amount of data generated by emerging ISR systems. The 100G program is developing the technologies and system concepts to project fiber optic class 100 Gb/s capacity via airborne data links anywhere within the area of responsibility (AOR).
The 100G program is exploring high-order modulation and spatial multiplexing techniques to achieve the 100 Gb/s capacity at ranges of 200 km air-to-air and 100 km air-to-ground from a high-altitude (e.g. 60,000 ft.) aerial platform. The program is leveraging the characteristics of millimeter wave (mmW) frequencies to produce spectral efficiencies at or above 20 bits-per-second per Hz. Computationally efficient signal processing algorithms are also being developed to meet size, weight, and power (SWaP) limitations of host platforms, which will primarily be high-altitude, long-endurance aerial platforms.
High-order modulation and spatial multiplexing technologies are being developed in Phase 1 of the 100G program. The technologies will be integrated into a 100 Gb/s system in Phase 2, followed by flight testing in Phase 3.