ST. LOUIS, 16 Nov. 2007.The Boeing Company has demonstrated secure interoperable communications between two Family of Advanced Beyond line-of-sight Terminals (FAB-T) software-defined radios, validating a capability that eventually will link ground, air, and space platforms.
The demonstration, held in October at Boeing's FAB-T Systems Integration Laboratory in Anaheim, Calif., completes the initial Engineering Development Model (EDM) hardware and software integration of a Block 6 Phase 1 terminal for the U.S. Air Force.
"Completion of the Block 6 hardware is a significant step for our team as we remain on target to meet the needs of the warfighter with this technology," says Jim Dodd, Boeing FAB-T program director. "FAB-T is programmable and reconfigurable in the field, allowing warfighters to customize high data rate communications to meet changing mission requirements."
The multi-terminal link capability demonstration used a simulated Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF)/Military Strategic and Tactical Relay (Milstar) satellite to communicate over live radio-frequency links. Demonstrating product maturity, the FAB-T team also integrated terminal software with the first EDM Modem Processor Group. Engineers then transferred the capability to the L-3 Communications FAB-T Terminal Integration Laboratory, where antenna layer integration with additional systems is being completed.
FAB-T is intended to provide military forces with a secure multi-mission capable family of software-defined radios that use a common open system architecture to link to different satellites and enable information exchange between ground, air and space platforms.
The FAB-T family includes software-defined radios, antennas, and associated user interface hardware that will provide the government with a powerful system capable of hosting a multitude of waveforms that accommodate data rates in excess of 300 Megabits per second.
