BAE Systems demos FireNet transceiver capability for rotary aircraft
BAE Systems has completed a capability demonstration of its FireNet software-defined communication transceiver, which displayed the systems additional channel capabilities for rotary wing aircraft providing US armed forces with a unified tactical network and enabling Joint All Domain Operations (JADO).
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FireNet addresses channel capacity and waveform needs for rotary wing aircraft. Its additional narrow, wide-band and Link-16 capabilities provides US armed forces with a unified tactical network.
Courtesy BAE Systems
“Military operations will increasingly occur in network-centric environments that demand greater bandwidth and network diversity to manage the immense amount of information at hand,” said Alan Dewar, director of Integrated Communication Solutions at BAE Systems. “Our FireNet system delivers large volumes of accurate, reliable information exchanged in real-time, allowing warfighters to maintain situational awareness and stay connected.”
The FireNet system uniquely addresses the US Army Aviation Branch’s channel capacity and waveform needs with low cost, size, weight and power demands. The system’s additional narrow-band, wide-band and Link-16 capabilities provide rotary wing aircraft with a unified tactical network that’s Crypto Modernization ready.
Allied and coalition defence operators using Link 16 military tactical data link terminals are required to update those terminals to a new cryptographic subsystem by 2022.
Designed for current and future fleets, this modular open-system architecture solution also enables additional line-of-sight voice, data and network communications from very high frequency to S-Band.
The FireNet system maximises flexibility with a small, standardised footprint, minimising integration effort for existing aircraft. It augments existing radio installations with a concurrent four-channel capability in a two-channel configuration.
BAE Systems’ communications products span airborne, maritime and ground applications in the high frequency to ultra-high frequency spectrums. The company’s battle-proven systems offer demonstrated reliability, lowering overall system cost. These systems also feature multi-band, secure anti-jam voice, data imagery transmission and network-capable communications.
BAE Systems is a leader in narrowband and broadband communication technologies, with more than two decades of core expertise in the radio market. The company’s Common Datalink radio family of products merges the latest generation wideband, high speed hardware and software technologies to provide warfighters with the communication solutions they need in the modern battlefield.
Work on the FireNet system will take place at the company’s Fort Wayne, Ind. site.