Raytheon demos Troposcatter Communications for U.S. Army

Raytheon Intelligence & Space has 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 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,” said Denis Donohue, president, Communications & Airspace Management Systems, RI&S.

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.

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.