Airborne platforms are increasingly being used as vehicles to capture intelligence data for defense, state and civil applications. The aerial vehicles are equipped with technology for both video and sensor data collection; the data is then sent to a ground mission control center for further processing. When the airborne platform is outside the reach of direct data relay due to distance or environment, satellite communications is used for Beyond Line of Sight (BLoS) communication. It is a key requirement for the satellite link in ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance) operations to get as much data and video as possible through the available bandwidth. The satellite link also needs to be available at all times during operations to insure mission critical communications and not endanger ground operations. Only by using robust satellite technology can the demand for more data and highest efficiency be satisfied while keeping OPEX costs under control. This paper will highlight both technical and practical challenges of operators in the airborne ISR missions, going from technical requirements to efficiency-driven solutions. It will also look at what the final results in the field are when transmitting ISR data and video from the airborne platform over satellite in highly adaptive environments. The existing qualified and deployed BLoS airborne solution already achieves over 20Mbps from the aircraft to the ground in active operations, but requirements and capabilities continue to increase as more comprehensive ISR data is being transmitted.

Date Published: 16 May 2013
PDF: 10 pages
Proc. SPIE 8740, Motion Imagery Technologies, Best Practices, and Workflows for Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR), and Situational Awareness, 87400A (16 May 2013); doi: 10.1117/12.2019915

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 8740:
Motion Imagery Technologies, Best Practices, and Workflows for Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR), and Situational Awareness
Donnie Self, Editor(s)