UAV communications payload development

Abstract

The Army Communications Electronics Command (CECOM) Space & Terrestrial Communications Directorate (S&TCD) is conducting a multi-year airborne communications range extension program, primarily in support of the Battlefield Information Transmission System (BITS) initiative. As part of this program the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) is currently under contract to CECOM to design and develop a payload as an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) based communications relay package to operate with the Army's High Capacity Trunk Radios (HCTR's) for test, evaluation and demonstrations. The basic function of this payload is to simultaneously relay full-duplex communication links to and from ground-based HCTR's. The maximum data rate that will be supported across these full-duplex links is 45 Mbps over a range up to 100 miles. Multiple full-duplex communication links can be supported by this UAV payload at the penalty of reduced communication range and/or reduced data rate throughput for each link. In addition to this full-duplex communications capability, a broadcast communication adjunct (at data rates up to T1) will also be provided. This secondary capability will utilize the identical uplink subsystem as the full-duplex payload but will use an S-band downlink package for broadcast to a small, hand-held, omni-directional based receiver. This paper provides a description of the payload and its control system development as well as its potential for its use within an airborne communications node. Also a testbed will be described which includes a C-12 airplane that will be used for the validation and evaluation of this and other payloads developed for UAVs.