Raytheon working on next-gen airborne comms

Raytheon BBN Technologies is working on new technologies to support seamless communication between the next generation of manned and unmanned flying aircraft, even in hostile environments, the company announced on 25 July.

The work is being carried out under two contracts worth a combined $9 million as part of DARPA's Dynamic Network Adaptation for Mission Optimization (DyNAMO) programme. 

Raytheon will deliver new networking solutions that will support the goals of the DyNAMO programme - to enable crew of different types of aircraft, with different sensor suites, to share information for a comprehensive view of the battlespace.

Jason Redi, vice president for Raytheon BBN Technologies' networking and communications unit, said: ‘Our team will develop two new capabilities. First, we will adapt radio parameters in reaction to changing information needs and conditions, so current and future airborne networks can communicate with each other.

'Second, we will create an efficient way to share information across and between networks that are currently incompatible so that applications operating on them can share relevant data.’

The DyNAMO programme seeks novel technologies to enable independently designed networks to share information and adapt to sporadic jamming and mission-critical dynamic network bursts in contested RF environments, including seeking technology that can interconnect existing static networks as well as future adaptive networks.