L-3 Communications has announced that its Communication Systems-West (CS-West) division has successfully completed preliminary flight tests of an IP-enabled, wideband Multi-Platform Common Data Link (MP-CDL) system. The tests validated operation of the MP-CDL airborne system in a hub-spoke network configuration, including fully automatic acquisition, tracking and control over both power and data rate.
The airborne hub transmitted real-time data to two MP-CDL spoke terminals on the ground, mixing real-time video streams from an L-3 Wescam 12DS 200 camera and a cockpit webcam with Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) telephone traffic and other sources. Data rates varied up to 137 Mb/s on the outbound link and up to 67 Mb/s on the inbound link.
In addition to reliable performance over multiple demonstration and test flights, the MP-CDL demonstrated interoperability with L-3's manpackable ROVER III terminal, validating its ability to provide real-time, full-motion video through these net-centric terminals directly to warfighters on the ground.
The MP-CDL systems are now being integrated into two KC-135 aircraft at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico in preparation for additional net-centric capability demonstrations, which will include point-to-point, air-to-air, multiple-hub and hub-handoff capabilities.
"Successful completion of the MP-CDL preliminary flight test milestone is significant for the entire ISR community, because it proves an airborne system is available today to support high capacity net-centric operations," said Curtis Brunson, president and chief operating officer of CS-West. "This demonstration showed networking functionality for transferring ISR data between nodes in a network along with traffic supporting operational command and control activities."
CS-West, located in Salt Lake City, UT, is the preeminent supplier of wideband data links and mobile surface and airborne satellite terminals for military applications in the world. CS-West has over 50 years of experience in providing robust, mobile microwave, satellite terminals and wideband data links for airborne platforms, including manned and unmanned platforms, operating in a variety of environments.
