Secure Alternative Communicator (SAC)

The U.S. Army is seeking a non-radio frequency (RF) transceiver alternative communicator (NRF-TAC) that is highly resistant to interference, detection, and exploitation.Ā This NRF-TAC will be self-contained, man-portable, concealable, field programmable, and able to operate for over 800 hours without operator intervention. A key objective of this SBIR is for the device to have a very small size, weight, and power (SWAP) profile.Ā To address this critical need, X-wave Innovations, Inc. (X-wave) proposes to develop a Secure Alternative Communicator (SAC).Ā The proposed SAC leverages X-wave developed technology and knowledge to create a non-RF communicator capable of communicating wirelessly between two points that is difficult to detect and report.Ā The SAC utilizes infrared communication which is known for its low probability of detection (LPD) and low probability of interception (LPI).Ā The proposed SAC makes use of commercial-off-the-shelf components minimizing the risk associated with prototype development and reducing the operation and maintenance costs throughout the systemÆs service life.Ā The use of COTS components also reduces the overall cost of the system making the SAC a cost-effective communication solution in the hostile environment. The SAC will be capable of integrating with existing communication networks and systems to extract the transmitted data.