Thursday, December 23, 2004
A standoff radar plane used by the U.S. Air Force for deep-strike assaults since the 1991 Gulf War has been tested for providing airborne Internet access.
Under a program called "Interim Capability for Airborne Networking," the Joint Stars, or Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System, aircraft used its dedicated radios to link to the Pentagon's Secret IP Router Network, or Siprnet.
The Air Force and Northrop Grumman Corp. tested the packet data technique at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. The scheme accelerates data rates considerably from the earlier Dial-Up Rate IP over Existing Radios, or Drier, program, tested on Joint Stars planes in 2003. The new ICAN system can link to ground stations via HF, UHF, VHF and satellite links.
The tests at Nellis represented the initial proof-of- concept phase. The next phase of the program includes additional testing and prototype deployment.
The military's need for bandwidth is growing as forces deployed in Iraq seek speedier access to battlefield data. Meanwile, the Pentagon is trying to implement its bandwidth-hungry network-centric warfare doctrine.
By: DocMemory
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