Multifunctional Radar and Data Link Functions for Dual Use Applications

The aim of this paper is to explore the potential for dual use application of radar and data link functions using the same frequency range on a common hardware, specifically an Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) antenna with multi-channel radar backend architecture. By utilizing software-defined solutions, both radar and data link functions can be applied to the AESA antenna. For the purposes of unidirectional data link test applications, a large, broadband AESA-based multifunctional radar was used. This approach has the potential to allow for significantly higher data rate transmissions compared to today’s typically separated data link and airborne radar hardware. This can be achieved due to larger apertures leading to highly focused antenna beams, higher RF output power, and typically higher bandwidths of airborne surveillance and fire control radars compared to separately used data links.Experimental results from a laboratory set-up in an anechoic chamber are presented to demonstrate the potential data transfer rates achievable through this shared AESA radar-data link architecture. During the data transmission phase in radar pulse operation, very high data rates were achieved in various transmission modes, with average data transmission rates of over 400 Mbps.