Directional Digital Data Link (D3L)

Resilient communication systems are essential to DoD operations against peer threats: Communication systems are essential to DoD. DoD autonomous systems rely on communications for command and control. DoD cross-domain kill chains rely on communications to link sensors to weapons. DoD enhanced surveillance and reconnaissance relay on communications to operate sensors. It is relatively easy to locate and to jam deny current DoD communications because the threat has many advantages. Most DoD systems have minimal (10 dB to 20 dB) of LPD/AJ performance. Peer threats will employ cyclostationary and cross correlation detectors and direction finding equipment (which can operate on sub-noise signals) to find and attack DoD communications systems. Threat jammers have more power than DoD communication systems. In most cases, the threat distance will be less than the link distance, providing the adversary additional advantages. Unless the DoD develops significantly improved communication systems (30 dB to 50 dB LPD/AJ performance), DoD will lose communications and have minimal technological superiority. Effective LPD/AJ resilient communications is achieved by combining multiple adaptation techniques: The project objective is to develop and demonstrate an extension of the existing DoD waveform (Small Unmanned Airborne Systems Digital Data Link–SUAS DDL) to provide improved performance against advanced electronic threats. The Directional Digital Data Link (D3L) technology combines beamforming and spectrum agility to maximize link range and/or to minimize detectability. The low cost active electronic phased-array systems reduce transmitted energy in most directions. The D3L ability to receive at all angles simultaneously overcomes the precise pointing, acquisition and tracking challenges present beamforming systems have. Frequency agility enables operation with the minimum interference. These combined technologies provides a significant performance advantage compared to present technology.