Airbus is unveiling its secure networked airborne military communications solution, Network for the Sky (NFTS), at the Farnborough airshow.
NFTS combines different communication technologies to form a global mesh network, allowing aircraft to be part of a high-speed connected battlespace. It is a communication network that is interoperable between aircraft, satellites, command centres and mobile units deployed on the ground or at sea.
“Network for the Sky aims to offer the same seamless experience that people have with their mobile phone when it switches from one network to another or from 4G to Wi-Fi without realising it, but with the reliability and cybersecurity standards of military communications,” David Kingdon-Jones, head of NFTS at Airbus Defence and Space, said.
“The difference is that, in the sky, it is not only the users who are mobile, but also the network, since aircraft themselves constitute the nodes of that network. Given their speed, two aircraft may only have a few seconds to exchange information that is critical for the mission.”
Today, individual aircraft, UAVs and helicopters continue to operate on separate networks with limited interoperability. Their bandwidth is also usually insufficient for transferring large volumes of data. On combat aircraft, for example, Link 16 and UHF/VHF communication systems offer data rates of only a few kbit/s - suitable only for voice communications and the exchange of position coordinates.
NFTS will integrate various technologies, such as satellite links with geostationary, medium and low Earth orbit constellations, tactical air-to-ground, ground-to-air and air-to-air links, voice links, 5G mobile communication cells and laser connections, into a single network.
NFTS will also see the rollout of a new generation of communication terminals and antennas that can be integrated into aircraft fuselage to manage different frequency bands and remain connected during rapid manoeuvres.
In a statement, Airbus said that its aim is to allow mission aircraft to able to share applications and data stored on board using a combat cloud. This will allow commanders to re-task in-flight combat aircraft and helicopters from the ground and operate tactical UAV swarms.
The first phase of NFTS involves standardising the use of high-speed satellite connectivity on aircraft using a range of antennas to switch from one satellite beam to another in-flight. This allows V/UHF radio links and L16 to extend from a few hundred kilometres to thousands of kilometres.
High-altitude platforms, such as Zephyr, will create permanent communication cells of several hundred kilometres in diameter in order to relay aircraft communications. Airbus will test Zephyr from WA later this year.
Local provider Speedcast has worked with Airbus at their Adelaide site to provide the anchor station in this part of the world for the Skynet constellation.
The Australian facility extends an existing chain of teleports that provide global coverage for connectivity services. In 2015, Airbus also moved the Skynet 5A satellite 67,000 km to cover the Asia Pacific.