DefenceTalkMissions in remote, forward operating locations often suffer from a lack of connectivity to tactical operation centers and access to valuable intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) data. The assets needed for long-range, high-bandwidth communications capabilities are often unavailable to lower echelons due to theater-wide mission priorities. DARPA’s Mobile Hotspots program aims to help overcome this […]https://www.defencetalk.com/remote-troops-closer-to-having-high-speed-wireless-networks-mounted-on-uavs-59267/

DefenceTalkThe U.S. Air Force RQ-4 Global Hawk unmanned aircraft system (UAS) has completed a series of ground and air demonstrations at Beale Air Force Base, Calif., expanding the adaptability of the Global Hawk system to use an additional Satellite Communications (SATCOM) link to improve the transfer of mission data. At the request of the U.S. […]https://www.defencetalk.com/global-hawk-expands-satellite-communications-capability-59240/

DefenceTalkChina’s President Xi Jinping questioned his US counterpart Barack Obama about reports that Washington had secretly tapped Chinese telecoms giant Huawei for years, a top security aide said Monday. “President Xi did raise that recent report in the context of their discussions on cyber-security,” Ben Rhodes, Obama’s deputy national security adviser, told a press briefing. […]https://www.defencetalk.com/chinas-xi-challenges-obama-on-telecoms-spying-report-59136/

DefenceTalkAs the Army moves to a streamlined and more user-friendly tactical network, the hardware, software and processes that keep it running and secure are realigning to reduce complexity and costs. Together, these products serve as the critical enablers of the Army’s tactical communications and data network. They simplify network tasks and operations for warfighters and […]https://www.defencetalk.com/us-army-consolidates-network-enablers-to-boost-simplicity-59018/

DefenceTalkIn one year, Northrop Grumman took a satellite communications system normally used in space and transformed it into a high-functioning, low-cost communications system that can be used on aircraft. The satellite communications (SATCOM) system was successfully demonstrated on board the company’s Firebird demonstrator aircraft. Until now, no small communications system has been able to send […]https://www.defencetalk.com/northrop-reinvents-satellite-communications-for-aircraft-49946/

DefenceTalkBrigade and battalion command posts, the heart of battlefield operations, are more mobile and agile than ever before, and through ongoing improvements in network capability, the Army is increasing their ability to move forward in the fight while retaining commanders’ critical situational awareness. Current technologies such as Warfighter Information Network Tactical, known as WIN-T, Increment […]https://www.defencetalk.com/army-network-stays-connected-even-when-jumping-the-toc-49915/

DefenceTalkResearchers from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have joined with an international team to engineer and measure a potentially important new class of nanostructured materials for microwave and advanced communication devices. Based on NIST’s measurements, the new materials-a family of multilayered crystalline sandwiches-might enable a whole new class of compact, high-performance, high-efficiency […]https://www.defencetalk.com/self-correcting-crystal-may-unleash-the-next-generation-of-advanced-communications-49595/

DefenceTalkBoeing has recently finished delivering more than 40 computer processing units that will support an integrated network of computer and communication equipment critical to U.S. Army air and missile defenses. Boeing’s Plug and Fight Processing Units are the main computing assets that link together various Army weapons and sensor platforms with the Integrated Air and […]https://www.defencetalk.com/boeing-completes-deliveries-of-processing-units-for-armys-air-missile-defense-network-49181/

DefenceTalkAfter a 20-year wait, the B-2 Spirit will receive a significant new communications upgrade. The first increment of the Common Very Low Frequency Receiver, or CVR, program was designed to be a successor to the very low frequency communication system originally slated to be included with the B-2’s communication package. The original system was deferred […]https://www.defencetalk.com/b-2-undergoes-communications-upgrade-48956/

DefenceTalkAMOS-4, built by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) for Spacecom, was successfully launched last night (August 31, 2013) from Baikonur, Kazakhstan, aboard a ZENIT 3SLB launcher. This morning (September 01, 2013) the satellite separated from the launcher’s last stage and has started communicating with the ground control station and mission control. IAI engineers have started Transfer […]https://www.defencetalk.com/israel-aerospace-industries-iai-has-successfully-launched-spacecoms-amos-4-48917/