Rockwell Collins successfully demonstrates 5,000 mile next-generation wideband high frequency communications link. Photo: Rockwell Collins.
Rockwell Collins, under contract to the Air Force Research Laboratory Information Directorate, recently demonstrated the resilience of next-generation high frequency (HF) communications using a wide band high frequency (WBHF) system over a 5,000 mile distance. The demonstration is aimed at supporting the U.S. Air Combat Command’s efforts to deploy communications technologies that work within satellite-denied environments.
Over the course of 30 days, Rockwell Collins’ next-generation HF network reliably and rapidly passed data files of various sizes up to 1 megabyte. The demonstration, which showed significant improvement over standard satellite and legacy HF systems, also tested ‘store and forward’ split site capabilities, which is a foundational element of next-generation HF networks.
The technology demonstrated by Rockwell Collins leverages current HF system infrastructure to create an easily upgraded HF solution with performance previously not available.
Going forward, the program will continue exploring the optimum network configuration and waveform technologies for a next generation HF application.