Jamie Bennet
General Atomics‘ aeronautical systems business completed a test showing the effectiveness of laser communication in relaying network data at low probability of intercept and low probability of detection.
The demonstration, which involved ground, mobile and airborne lasercomm terminals, was conducted at the Naval Information Warfare Center Atlantic in Charleston, South Carolina, and is intended for unmanned aircraft, the company said Thursday.
A team from NIWC Atlantic’s Advanced Naval Technology Exercise facilitated the demo, which included a shared communication display of real-time video and audio feed from the terminal operators. The technology was able to relay the video and audio at high quality, at a rate of 1 Gigabit per second.
“This fully networked lasercomm demonstration is a major milestone for [General Atomics Aeronautical Systems] and a significant achievement for the lasercomm community as it featured the extended use of this technology beyond point-to-point communications,” said Satish Krishnan, vice president of mission payloads and exploitation at GA-ASI.
The General Atomics affiliate is exploring the integration of laser communication into its line of remotely piloted aircraft for future use in air, sea, ground and satellite communications.
