Long Link Range Maritime Communications

Maritime operations in certain regions represent a challenge to the Navy.Future operations in these areas will require a network of undersea manned and unmanned platforms that can communicate over link distances up to many thousands of kilometers while remaining undetected.This requires long-range communications networks to support collaboration and command and control among these platforms and with the Navy.ASTRA develops cutting edge radio systems, including HF and L-band frequencies, and has experience deploying equipment on small autonomous ocean-going buoys, and EW. We will leverage our experience in HF applications and modern radio technologies to develop a system concept that will extend maritime HF link ranges. The proposed solution will include novel combinations of antennas, wide tuning range front-ends, signal processing, inter-platform coordination, and various other techniques. Furthermore, the radio system packaging will support multiple platforms such as autonomous vehicles, and submarines as well as manned aircraft and surface ships. The proposed solution will also have power, antenna size and weight consistent with small unmanned vehicles in a maritime setting, as required by the RFP.In Phase-I, we will demonstrate, by analysis and simulation of the adaptive buoy concept, the feasibility for low cost collections globally.