Marine Corps seeks light-based communications for contested battlefields
Gettyimages.com/ Three Spots
By
Nick Wakeman
Free space optics technology could provide high-speed data transmissions with a lower risk of detection in denied environments.
The Marine Corps is looking for ways to use light to securely transmit data on the battlefield.
In a request for information posted Monday, the Marine Corps Systems Command for tactical communications and electromagnetic warfare wants optical technologies that can support the communications needs of the Marine Air-Ground Task Force.
The command is looking at Free Space Optics, which can provide high-capacity wireless links by transmitting data via light.
“FSO offers the potential for high throughput, low latency, and low probability of detection/interception in denied or contested environments,” according to the RFI.
An FSO system requires clear and unobstructed line of sight between terminals in order to work.
The Marine Corps wants a packable solution that can be transported by two people and can be used in all operational environments, including:
- Littoral and maritime operations
- Desert, mountain and arctic environments
- Jungle and high-humidity conditions
- Urban and austere terrain
- Day/night and adverse weather conditions (fog, dust, rain, heat, cold)
The system also needs to be set up or taken down in 60 minutes by three or fewer people. It must operate using standard AC power or tactical DC power supplies. The Marine Corps also wants the system to have automatic or assisted alignment and tracking features.
Responses should include technical information such as operating wavelengths, data rates and link ranges, total weight and number transfer cases, and network interfaces.
The Marine Corps also wants to know if the technology is ready for use and if manufacturing is ready to support deployment.
Responses are due Dec. 3.