An Assessment of the Feasibility of Optical Command Post Communication.
Abstract
The combat radio used by the fighting units (battalion and smaller) of the U.S. Army is the Single-Channel Ground-To-Airborne Radio System (SINCGARS). This radio system functions effectively, except that the available bandwidth is insufficient to avoid congestion on digital channels. This can result in low throughput and long delays in ordinary tactical situations. This report describes one of a pair of studies that address one possible way to ameliorate this situation (i.e., changing the frequency at which the basic combat radio operates). This study addresses taking advantage of the higher bandwidth available in the optical portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. Three modes of operation are considered (satellite relay stations, direct beam, or terrestrial relay stations). Technological issues, terrain masking, and atmospheric constraints are all considered. Some conclusions and recommendations are also presented.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 01, 1997
- Accession Number
- ADA326970
Entities
People
- Alan R. Downs
Organizations
- United States Army Research Laboratory