Kuband Communications On the Move

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Ku-band Communications On the Move
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AGS Communications On The Move - COTM
New Collaborative Battlefield Management ISR
applications Demand Broadband IP
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Ku-Band COTM

• Why Ku?
• More MHz,
• Potential for higher performance to support
  evolving application needs
• Economics for data intensive applications
• Compatibility with existing architecture (i.e
  JNN)
• What are the application drivers?
• Primarily ISR
• Integration of collaborative battlefield
  management tools with real-time VTC and voice
  circuits
• Streaming video to and from multiple points on
  the battlefield can now be supported and are in
  increasing demand.
• Growing interest in use of COTM vehicle as a hot
  spot to extend broadband IP access via secure
  Wi-Fi brings IP capacities to surrounding
  vehicles and war fighters
• Why On-The-Move, arent current on-the-pause
  capabilities sufficient?
• Smaller and more mobile/agile teams are being
  deploy in situations where there is no option to
  stop and set up
• Constant connectivity
• Aircraft and smaller ships
• Why Now
• Improvements in modem and antenna technology make
  this more feasible than just a few years ago.

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Requirements and Capabilities - Antennas

• Vehicle mount requirements drive need for Small
  stabilized antenna system
• Approximately 16-18 inch (40 to 50 cm) effective
  aperture
• Low to mid profile antenna
• A 3 foot high radome on a HUMVVEE is not
  practical for multiple reasons.
• Relatively low combined weight for in vehicle and
  top side equipment
• Various high quality Low, Mid, and Higher profile
  on-the-move antennas exist today
• Two major differences
• Ones that use inertial management units
• more expensive, heavier, faster, more precise,
  more complex
• Ones that do not use inertial management units
• less expensive, typically lighter, simpler,
  slower
• Pairing of modem and antenna type is critical for
  performance and licensing
• Different antenna footprints for different
  application
• Mid profile for high performance and roll on roll
  off
• Small footprint for helicopter and vehicleswith
  limited roof deck real estate
• Low profile for stealth with performance
  tradeoffs.
• No electronically steerable phased array systems
  yet ..sigh!

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Requirements and Capabilities Compliance
Architecture

• Regulatory compliance, specifically in the area
  of Adjacent Satellite Interference (ASI)
• Combination of small antennas and power levels
  required to achieve desired performance are a
  significant challenge to on-the-move systems
• Poor ASI performance requires cherry picking of
  satellites which greatly reduces flexibility.
• Use of some type of spreading being adopted by
  most
• Non spread SCPC is running on the largest COTM
  antennas (24 inches) but at lower speeds than
  originally planned.
• Support of multiple network architecture
• Hub and Spoke for support of true Joint Network
  Centric operation
• Also being adopted for regional hubs
• Mesh for support of forward deployed hubs as
  exist with the JNN architecture
• SCPC for adhoc point to point requirements.
• Network performance
• Hub and spoke
• Up to 10 Mbps to the remote and up to 512 kbps
  from the remote back into the network
• Mesh and SCPC
• Approximately 2 3 Mbps in both directions
  subject to technology and regulatory compliance
• Oversubscription on any shared architecture must
  be conservative in order to support time
  sensitive applications like video.

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Beyond Technology AGS COTM Service model

• Different organizations, different requirements
• One organization wants turnkey service and public
  internet back-hauls
• Another wants varying levels of hands on
  management,highly secured backhauls, and wants
  to provide elements as GFE
• Flexibility is key to meeting the requirements
• L-band has set a good example, Prepositioned and
  online infrastructure will support rapid
  deployment and can fill CbB void.
• Ku-band offers the flexibility of high number
  ofon-station satellites and transponders for
  look angle and transponder optimization
• The AGS vision is for global coverage with a
  regional focus supporting a network centric
  architecture.

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Meeting the needs of todays Warfighter

• Ku-Band COTM Service Model
• Regulatory concerns are addressed throughthe use
  of ViaSat spread spectrumtechnology
• Economics are addressed through offering a fixed
  price per site permonths model
• Multiple antennas are supportedenabling
  helicopter, fixed wing aircraftand ground
  vehicles to operate in the same network.
• Service is available in CONUS and soon tobe in
  Europe and parts of the middle east.
• Will use the optimum satellite and transponder
  for the task.