Interceptor Communications

Welkin Sciences proposes to formulate a class of burst-mode communication waveforms tailored for future MDA interceptor communication systems. The waveform signaling format will support four critical receiver functions: 1) very rapid carrier acquisition and time synchronization; 2) adaptive signal processing to mitigate received signal distortion arising from frequency-selective fading; 3) adaptive signal processing to suppress jamming signals and other interference sources; and 4) powerful error correction decoding. The waveform class will employ direct sequence pseudo-noise spread spectrum (DS-PNSS) modulation with time-varying characteristics to inhibit an adversary’s ability to detect, disrupt, intercept or exploit the transmissions. Welkin Sciences also proposes to design the Advanced Interceptor Data Link (AIDL) with new ground-based and flight-vehicle transceivers utilizing our proposed new waveform type. To support evaluation of the AIDL design, Welkin Sciences further proposes to upgrade two important development tools: 1) the COMLNK software package, a development environment for strategic modem development; and 2) the COMLNK Hardware platform (CHP) that serves as a rapid prototyping system with which fully operational strategic data links can be implemented and tested. The upgraded COMLNK and CHP tools will exploit two decades of strategic “software modem” research formulated funded by the Defense Nuclear Agency, DTRA and MDA.