Underground Scattered Ultraviolet Relay for Penetrating Enemy Restricted Areas (USURPER)

Underground facilities provide concealment and protection for an array of activities conducted by US adversaries, including production, storage, and deployment of WMDs.  Communications with these subterranean facilities is a challenge at best. The current solution relies on conventional free-space RF radio links. However, RF propagation underground is not well understood and the variable and the lack of foreknowledge of the subterranean space structure results in these radio networks working sub-optimally underground.  Tunnel junctions and other discontinuities in line-of-sight (LOS) can cause appreciable signal attenuation that reduces range. R-DEX Systems proposes to build on its successful Phase I and increase the TRL of the Underground Scattered Ultraviolet Relay for Penetrating Enemy Restricted Areas (USURPER) technology, a revolutionary yet practical LPI/LPD/LPE free space optical (FSO) subterranean communications system using the UV-C band. In Phase II, R-DEX will partner with its strategic partner to construct prototype dual end/relay nodes, characterize system performance, and demonstrate in a relevant environment.