Free Space Optics for Tactical Environments

Free space optics (FSO) offers a high bandwidth wireless communication solution that operates outside of the traditional radio frequency spectrum. With the recent auction of spectrum in accordance with the 2010 National Broadband Plan, access to alternative spectrum is a critical need in order to allow our military forces to maintain operational, training and test capability. While FSO offers access to a very high bandwidth outside of traditional RF spectrum, challenges posed by the optical channel require careful consideration of the tactical FSO system design. Over the past decade, significant research efforts have been expended to demonstrate FSO technologies in ground, maritime, airborne, and space environments. At the tactical level, the Office of Naval Research focused their effort at the development of modest, robust FSO terminals in the TALON Future Naval Capability program. The challenges of developing tactically-relevant FSO terminals encompass a diverse set of requirements inclusive of more than link performance alone, such as operating environment, platform integration, automation and user interface, network architecture, and the balance of these requirements with size, weight, power and cost. NRL, in partnership with the National Spectrum Consortium, continues the prototyping and evaluation of tactical FSO systems to meet user needs. As a result of the execution of the National Broadband Plan, the need for communication systems operating in alternate spectrum has become more acute.