DEVELOPMENT OF LOW COST RPV COMMUNICATIONS PAYLOADS

THE PROPOSED PHASE I PROGRAM WILL ANALYZE THE APPLICATION OF TWO NEW COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES ARE (1) PAYING OUT AN OPTICAL FIBER FROM THE RPV AND PROBABLY ALSO SIMULTANEOUSLY FROM A SURFACE SHIP OR SUBMARINE SO AS TO FORM A CONTINUOUS PHYSICAL BI-DIRECTIONAL COMMUNICATION LINK BETWEEN THE RPV AND SHIP, AND (2) USE OF MODULATABLE OPTICALRETROREFLECTOR MOUNTED ON THE RPV OR RELAY WHICH CAN BE INTERROGATED FROM ONE OR MORE SURFACE SHIPS BY DIRECTING LASERS ON THE SHIPS AT THE RETROREFLECTOR. THE PROGRAM WILL ANALYZE THE APPLICATION OF THESE COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES TO APPLICATIONS AS DEFINED IN CONSULTATION WITH NAVSEA. ONE SUCH SYSTEM WILL BE DESIGNED AND A COST ESTIMATE WILL BE PREPARED FOR A DEMONSTRATION TO BE PERFORMED IN PHASE II OF THIS PROGRAM. BOTH OF THESE TECHNOLOGIES WERE INVENTED AND DEVELOPED AT OPTELECOM.