Spectrum Efficient Technology
Abstract
Weapon systems have become increasingly complex in recent years, resulting in the need for significantly more data to be passed among these systems, and between the systems and our test infrastructure. A vast amount of data must be collected, transmitted, and analyzed, which requires a large amount of radio frequency (RF) spectrum resources. However, the amount of RF spectrum designated to support test and evaluation (T&E) is decreasing, most notably due to reallocation of spectrum for commercial use. The combination of decreasing RF spectrum and increasing data requirements results in an urgent need to develop test technologies that maximize the use of spectrum resources for Department of Defense (DoD) T&E operations. The L and S frequency bands are the traditional spectrum allotted for military T&E use. The explosive need for spectrum in the commercial sector has resulted in reallocation of portions of these bands to industry. To compensate, DoD is now authorized to use the C-Band spectrum which offers numerous benefits, including a three-fold increase in available bandwidth, but C-Band comes with technical challenges. Most notably, our current test infrastructure for telemetry is not designed to accommodate C-Band. Technologies are required to implement innovative techniques that efficiently facilitate our use of C-Band without a major overhaul to our national test infrastructure. For instance, commercial telemetry transmitters operate in C-Band but do not have the form factor (size and weight) or rugged packaging to survive airborne test applications. Traditional telemetry applications employ streaming telemetry where data is moved one-way from the instrumented system under test to our test infrastructure. Modern network based telemetry capabilities, like those being developed by the Central Test and Evaluation Investment Program (CTEIP) integrated Network Enhanced Telemetry (iNET) effort, enable more robust, efficient bidirectional transfer of data. DoD’s strategy is to create technologies for streaming telemetry capability in C-Band, opening up legacy L- and S-Bands for networked telemetry, and researching the feasibility of using higher frequency bands to augment telemetry operations. The Spectrum Efficient Technology (SET) project is developing test technologies that enable more efficient use of legacy telemetry bands and expansion into non-traditional areas of the RF and optical spectra at DoD test ranges. The technology development efforts within the SET project have been prioritized to align with Department of Defense guidance on science and technology priority investments. As such, the SET project is focusing on growing data requirements of warfighting systems and the limited availability of spectrum for testing. The SET project is structured to develop test technologies to advance range communications, networked telemetry capabilities, and enhanced management of spectrum at DoD test ranges.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Project
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 2016
- Source ID
- 2_0603941D8Z_3_0400_PB_2016
Related Documents
- Root: Test and Evaluation/Science and Technology
- Child Accomplishment: Spectrum Efficient Technology