Burst Mode, High Data Rate Communication Links with Narrow Beam Directional Antennas

The availability of wide bandwidth, and narrow-beam electronically steered arrays (ESAs) at Ka Band creates an extraordinary opportunity for military communications systems. Specifically orders of magnitude improvements appear to be achievable in terms ofdata rates, Low Probability of Detection (LPD), and Anti-Jam (AJ) performance. Additionally, the enabling technology can support advanced radar functions. For example, the envisioned Future Combat System (FCS) requires such advanced capabilities.The work proposed herein will deliver a highly innovative, practical modulation/demodulation (modem) architecture capable of¿ Supporting high-rate, LPD/AJ communications, and also¿ Radar functionality.The work will demonstrate that the critical net join problem can be solved through the use of creative hand shaking protocols, and specific innovative high-processing gain (PG) waveforms. The work also will identify a preferred modem architecture whichincorporates spectrally-efficient, higher-order modulations, channel mitigation, LPD and AJ waveforms, and also supports radar functionality. The modem architecture will be selected to facilitate migration into a real KA Band demonstration radio. The Phase 1 work will demonstrate the practicality of a military Ka Band modem with the following advanced capabilities:1) Robust, fast net join, re-join protocols for use with narrow-beam antennas2) Supporting High PG net join waveforms3) High data-rate communication waveform4) Advanced Featureless LPD waveform5) AJ waveform6) Channel Mitigation7) Waveforms supportive of high-resolution radar ranging.To date, none of these features have been demonstrated in an operating Ka Band radio.