Future Air Force tactical communications

Current tactical Air Force communication systems for aircraft voice, aircraft data, ground-to-ground interconnections, and sensor/weapon data links are discussed with reference to problem areas and programs planned to reduce the existing deficiencies. Important technological opportunities that might help overcome existing problems in the 1990s are identified, e.g., LSI/VLSI technology, microprocessors, adaptive arrays, multiple beam antennas, conformal arrays, narrow-band voice digitization, advanced memory technology, and fiber optics. Systems approaches for exploiting these opportunities are discussed with emphasis on reduced-information-rate operation, adaptive network techniques, network management/control, packet switching, and joint-Service, interoperable, common-user systems.