Energy News  
Northrop Grumman Completes Flight Test of Wideband Networking Capability

Illustration only
by Staff Writers
San Diego CA (SPX) Aug 24, 2006
Northrop Grumman recently completed the 12th in a series of ongoing flight tests of an enhanced Wideband Networking Waveform (WNW). The enhanced WNW software, hosted on Northrop Grumman-developed software-defined radios, successfully demonstrated key airborne network waveform capabilities.

WNW is designed to facilitate interoperability between the services; provide seamless delivery of video, voice and data; and support ad hoc formation of scalable networks. The U.S. Department of Defense has specified WNW for the Joint Tactical Radio System (JTRS) program to establish Internet Protocol-based networking and provide transformational communications for the warfighter.

Northrop Grumman made enhancements to the WNW Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiplexing (OFDM) signal to address performance risks encountered in "fast mover" aerodynamic flight environments such as Doppler frequency shifts and multipath interference. Improvements were also implemented for rapid net entry and extended range.

Northrop Grumman successfully conducted WNW OFDM communications in a high differential Doppler, multipath environment with ranges exceeding 100 nautical miles. The flight-test scenarios demonstrated the ability to join and leave the network on an impromptu basis with application data that included streaming video, high-resolution still imagery, text messaging and chat.

All software was running in a JTRS Software Communications Architecture-compliant environment. The waveform enhancements were developed in collaboration with Nova Engineering of Cincinnati, Ohio.

In addition, Northrop Grumman successfully ported and demonstrated Soldier Radio Waveform and Tactical Common Data Link communication capabilities on the same software-defined JTRS radios.

"A key feature of our airborne implementation is the ability to host the modified waveform on standard universal transceivers and security architectures that are widely used on JTRS programs today," said Greg Jones, director of JTRS Projects for Radio Systems, Northrop Grumman Space Technology. "We believe this can significantly lower the government's cost of fielding an airborne networking waveform."

Northrop Grumman Space Technology develops and produces the software-defined radios that perform numerous critical communications, navigation and identification functions for the F-22 Raptor and the F-35 Lightning II. Northrop Grumman is leveraging the successes of these advanced fighter avionics programs to provide innovative technology solutions for the government's JTRS enterprise.

JTRS has the objective to develop and field a family of interoperable, software-defined radios that operate as nodes in a network to ensure secure wireless communications and networking services for mobile and fixed forces. JTRS is central to implementing the Defense Department's vision of network-centric operations and information superiority.

Nova Engineering is an employee-owned company specializing in the design and development of leading-edge digital communications and signal-processing systems. Since 1989, Nova Engineering has successfully deployed systems for a variety of customers, including all branches of the U.S. military and many government agencies.

Community
Email This Article
Comment On This Article

Related Links
Northrop Grumman
Read the latest in Military Space Communications Technology at SpaceWar.com
Read the latest in Military Space Communications Technology at SpaceWar.com



Memory Foam Mattress Review
Newsletters :: SpaceDaily :: SpaceWar :: TerraDaily :: Energy Daily
XML Feeds :: Space News :: Earth News :: War News :: Solar Energy News


South Korea Launches First Military Communications Satellite
Seoul (AFP) Aug 22, 2006
South Korea on Tuesday launched its first military communications satellite which will boost ability to collect information on North Korea, officials said. The Mugunghwa-5 satellite, built by French company Alcatel, lifted off from a ship in the South Pacific off Hawaii at 0327 GMT, top telecom firm KT Corp and the defense ministry said.







  • "Frozen" Natural Gas Discovered At Unexpectedly Shallow Depths Below Seafloor
  • Australia To Build 232 Megawatt Wind Farm
  • Jadoo Power Awarded Defense Contract for Next Generation Fuel Cell Power System
  • Britain, France, Ireland, Spain seek to extend maritime boundaries at UN meet

  • New Check On Nuke Power
  • Swedish nuclear sector out of danger, but political fallout lingers
  • US Says New Pakistani Nuclear Reactor Not Very Powerful
  • Nuclear Plant Faced Possible Meltdown In Sweden

  • NASA Experiment Finds Possible Trigger For Radio-Busting Bubbles
  • California's Model Skies
  • ESA Picks SSTL To Develop Atmospheric CO2 Detector
  • Faster Atmospheric Warming In Subtropics Pushes Jet Streams Toward Poles

  • Papua Logging Industry Riddled With Corruption, Rights Abuses: Report
  • Small-Scale Logging Leads To Clear-Cutting In Brazilian Amazon
  • Debate Continues On Post-Wildfire Logging, Forest Regeneration
  • Malaysia And Indonesia Join Forces To Dampen Haze Problem

  • EU Orders Imports Of US Rice To Be Certified Free Of GM Strain
  • Cow Gas Study Not Just A Lot Of Hot Air
  • No Confidence In Organic
  • New Flood-Tolerant Rice Offers Relief For Poorest Farmers

  • British Police Force To Introduce Greener Cars
  • Two New Segway Models Offered
  • Declining Death Rates Due to Safer Vehicles Not Better Drivers Or Better Roads
  • Toyota To Expand Hybrid Car Range In US

  • US Sanctions On Russia Could Hurt Boeing
  • Boeing Puts Aircraft Market At 2.6 Trillion Dollars
  • Innovative Solutions Make Transportation Systems Safer Secure and Efficient
  • Joint Strike Fighter Is Not Flawed Finds Australian Government

  • Could NASA Get To Pluto Faster? Space Expert Says Yes - By Thinking Nuclear
  • NASA plans to send new robot to Jupiter
  • Los Alamos Hopes To Lead New Era Of Nuclear Space Tranportion With Jovian Mission
  • Boeing Selects Leader for Nuclear Space Systems Program

  • The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2006 - SpaceDaily.AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA PortalReports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additionalcopyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by SpaceDaily on any Web page published or hosted by SpaceDaily. Privacy Statement