Raytheon Intelligence & Space, a Raytheon Technologies business, successfully demonstrated the next-generation, transportable beyond-line-of-sight, or BLOS, Troposcatter communications system establishing high bandwidth, high stability communication links for the U.S. Army.
The wireless, point-to-point communications system delivers voice and command and control information to decision makers when tactical satellite communications are denied, degraded or unavailable – a critical communications capability that supports the Department of Defense’s Joint All Domain Command and Control vision to connect the battlespace across every domain.
“The modernized Troposcatter system delivers more capability with increased throughput performance and low latency at a significantly lower cost,” said Denis Donohue, president, Communications & Airspace Management Systems, RI&S. “The solid-state power amplifier technology reduces overall size and weight, while increasing performance. With our enhancements, this system is a force multiplier, delivering key links over vast distances, much greater than any line-of-sight communications system available to our soldiers today.”
As the program of record for the U.S. Army, the AN/TRC-244(V)1 Troposcatter system is designed for broadband communications at long range BLOS links. The system can be configured with a single antenna, or additional antennas for diversity, combining to extend system performance. The system is automated for self-alignment of the antenna and will achieve link connectivity in less than 40 minutes, once emplaced.
The Troposcatter system uses radio-scattering effects in the lowest part of the atmosphere, allowing for BLOS communication, eliminating the need for multiple, expensive line-of-sight relays and limited satellite resources, to cover the range of a single Troposcatter link. The Troposcatter system offers a lower latency, cost-efficient solution compared to satellite communications. The small, portable system is designed to be set up quickly in order to set up a communications link– furthering transport capacity of the military’s tactical network.
The RI&S team tested several Troposcatter systems in multiple operational environments at 7 different locations across various distances, including some in mountainous terrain at distances approaching 120 miles. The results were successful, and transmissions were received at all locations with low latency. This testing will support U.S. Army fielding decisions for the initial lot of 19 systems and is the first step of an iterative test series.
With more than a half century of experience with Troposcatter technology, the RI&S team continues our support to the U.S. Army with innovative BLOS communications to ensure U.S. warfighters are provided resilient communications to address evolving threats.