MARKET OVERVIEWS: UAV COMMUNICATION LINKS
UAV communication links
Introduction
The usual configuration for a UAV system consists of one
or several air vehicles, communication links - command &
control and data links for transferring information from
the air to the ground and vice versa, payloads for
gathering intelligence or for other missions such as EW or
attack, a Mission Planning and Control Station (MPCS),
usually a Ground Control Station (GCS), which acts as a
base for flying the UAV and issuing commands and in
some cases a Data Terminal and Remote Video Terminals.
Data is generally transmitted from the UAV directly to the
ground station or data terminal via line of sight (LOS) or
via a relay which in some of the more sophisticated UAV
systems can be through a satellite communications
system (SATCOM). UAVs themselves can also be used as
relay stations to extend communications links.
Military communication links not only have to be secure
and resistant to Electronic Counter Measures (ECM) in
order to successfully complete operational tasks without
interference but will also need to be of the appropriate
high-integrity to allow the vehicles to be seamlessly
integrated with manned aircraft in controlled airspace.
For this type of full integration to take place UAV
controllers will need to be able to process them through
their sectors by relaying guidance commands in real-time
via the communication link similar to the way manned
aircraft are operated in IFR airspace. They will also need
voice channels for the UAV operators in the control
stations to be able to talk with Air Traffic Control (ATC)
centres.
Ground Control Stations
Ground Control stations can vary in their complexity and
size according the number of UAVs they control
simultaneously and the type and amount of data being
transferred between the GCS and the UAV. The GCS not
only controls the UAV’s flight and mission, but also acts as
hub for the intelligence data which the UAV is transmitting.
Relatively simple UAV systems comprise of a mission
planning computer, a video control computer, a pilot
control unit and a sensor control unit. They can be small
enough to allow for easy transportation and some GCSs are
available as laptop computers. The more sophisticated
GCSs consist of a complex network of fixed and mobile
facilities capable of networking with relay stations and
Satcom networks. The heart of the GCS is the pathway for
the command and control, telemetry and intelligence data
jointly referred to as the communication links. These links
are the key for gaining international approval to operate in
controlled airspace.
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Communication Links
In order to focus the international community’s efforts to
adapt existing and create new regulations for the use of
UAVs in controlled airspace, a joint UAV Task Force (UAV TF)
with representatives from the UAV, aerospace and Air Traffic
Management (ATM) communities was set up in 2002 under
the guidance of the Joint Aviation Authorities (JAA) and the
European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation
(EUROCONTROL). The UAV TF was asked to examine the
issues involved with flying civil UAVs in controlled airspace
and to come up with a set of recommendations which were
delivered to and approved by the JAA’s Management
Committee (JAAC) in June 2004. The recommendations
were also delivered to EUROCONTROL Safety Regulation
Committee (SRC) and subsequently to the ICAO EUR/NAT
office and the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).
EASA is preparing a notice for prior announcement (NPA)
for a follow-on to the Task Force’s Final Report. Although
the Task Force’s remit does not cover the use of military
UAVs, it is hoped that it will inform that discussion. The
UAV TF carried out extensive examination of the challenges
presented by the UAV communications systems. Their
recommendations state that the airworthiness criteria to be
included in the UAV System Type Certification should be
based on five key points. These are; the approval for all
frequencies used in UAV operations to be obtained from
national authorities, the communication link signal strength
should be continuously monitored and appropriate
maximum communication link range cues be provided to
the UAV pilot, any single failure of the communication
system (uplink/downlink) should not affect normal control
of the UAV, uplink/downlinks to be protected from
electromagnetic interference (EMI) and finally the
airworthiness certification process should include
contingencies for lapse times, intermittent failures,
alternate modes of communication links and total loss of
communication links.
In a paper prepared by John Melltrop of the UK Civil
Aviation Authority (which see in this edition) 6 types of UAV
radio equipment were identified as requiring to conform to
existing or new International Civil Aviation Organization
(ICAO) standards before UAVs could be granted permanent
access to controlled airspace. These are the systems
responsible for navigation, sense and avoid, position/status
reporting, communications, command and control and
payload. Of these six, only the command and control
element is not covered by existing standards. There are 6
systems for navigation covered by ICAO standards; Distance
Measuring Equipment (DME), VHF Omni-range (VOR), Non-
Directional Beacons (NDB) and Global Navigation Satellite
Systems (GNSS), as well as the Instrument Landing System
(ILS) and the Microwave Landing System (MLS). Sense and
 MARKET OVERVIEWS: UAV COMMUNICATION LINKS
avoid are covered by the three standardised systems of
Automatic Dependence Surveillance Broadcast (ADS-B),
Traffic Collision Avoidance System (TCAS) and Traffic
Information System Broadcast (TIS-B).
Position/Status reporting are covered by ADS-B, Mode S and
Radar standards. ICAO has standards for communications
covering both line of sight (LOS) data links and voice VHF
links as well as standards for satellite communications.
Payload links are the responsibility of the payload customer
with the only issue being the guarantee that the payload
system does not interfere with the operation of the air
vehicle. The UK (with support from a group of interested
countries) has already managed to get an agenda item for
UAV command and control spectrum accepted for the 2007
World Radio Conference run by the International
Telecommunications Union (ITU). The World Radio
conference is the only body authorised to change the
contents of the Radio Regulations treaty governing the use
of the radio spectrum from 9 kHz to 1,000 GHz. It is
therefore here that the case will have to be made to obtain
the necessary UAV telecommand spectrum allocations. If
the case is rejected, the next opportunity will not be until
the following World Radio Conference, which is scheduled
to take place in 2010.
In order to ensure the safety of manned and unmanned
aircraft flying in the USA’s National Air Space (NAS), RTCA Inc,
a private corporation set up to develop consensus-based
recommendations for communications, navigation,
surveillance and air traffic management CNS/ATM system
issues, set up the Special Committee 203 (SC-203) in
December 2004. SC-203 has been tasked with delivering 3
key products within a strict timeframe. The first is a set of
Minimum Aviation System Performance Standards (MASPS)
for UAVs by December 2005, next the committee is to deliver
MASPS for UAV command, control and communication (C3)
systems by June 2006 and finally MASPS for UAV sense and
avoid systems by December 2007. Both the C3 and sense and
avoid systems MASPS must address data/communication link
functional performance requirements.
The SC-203 is also required to co-ordinate its activities
with other UAV organisations and agencies with
overlapping interests such as UNITE, JAA, ASTM, SAE,
ICAO, EUROCAE and Access 5. One of SC-203’s officials,
Andy Cebula, from the Aircraft Owners and Pilots’
Association (AOPA) said, “We volunteered for the job
because we want to make sure that these unmanned
aircraft don’t have an impact on our members literally and
figuratively.” In short, the AOPA advocates that before
UAVs are released into general airspace they will have to
be able to do what a pilot in a Cessna 172 can do. That is,
see and avoid other aircraft, operate within the confines of
the current ATC system and be able to deal with
emergencies without endangering other aircraft. One of
SC-203’s co-chairs, John Walker, is one of the active
participants in of Access 5, which is also working to
integrate UAVs into the US NAS. Access 5 results from the
efforts made by the UAV National Industry Team (UNITE) to
persuade the FAA, NASA, and the Department of Defense
to collaborate on obtaining permission for UAVs to
operate within the NAS. It started work in May 2004 has
been given 5 years to integrate HALE UAVs into US
controlled airspace.
United States of America
As one would expect, the United States plays a leading role
in the development of UAV data links and data link
protocols. Key players in the market are BAE Systems North
America, Cubic, the Harris Corporation, L-3
Communications, Raytheon and Rockwell Collins. Both
Raytheon and L-3 are responsible for communications
systems on the Predator and Global Hawk. L-3
Communications Systems - West, based in Salt Lake City
supplies the Global Hawk Common Data Link (CDL)
compatible Integrated Communications System (ICS) with
full duplex wideband air-to-ground data link, a full duplex
wideband satellite data link and redundant full duplex UHF
satellite and/or LOS links for command and control. The X-
band CDL LOS link has selectable downlink rates and spread
spectrum waveform on uplink.
The entire system consists of a Common Airborne Modem
Assembly (CAMA) a SATCOM Radio Frequency Assembly
and a LOS Radio Frequency Assembly (RFA), two antennas
(one dual band LOS and one SATCOM), a High Voltage
Power Supply (HVPS), a High Power Amplifier (HPA) and
two UHF receiver/transmitters, two UHF power amplifiers,
two LNA/Diplexers and two UHF antennas providing the
complete UAV requirement for LOS and Satcom
communications. Compatibility with the Common Data
Link (CDL) allows the data to be integrated within the US
DoD’s primary data link for unprocessed data as CDL is a
flexible, multipurpose, radio link-based digital
communication system developed for air-to-surface
transmission of sensor information from manned and
unmanned aircraft. The link comprises an uplink operating
at 200 kbps and a downlink operating at 274 Mbps and
uses C, X and K frequency bands.
The CDL, which refers to a family of interoperable datalink
implementations offering 5 different levels (Class I to V) of
capabilities for different applications/platforms also supports
air-to-satellite (relay/Beyond Line of Sight BLOS)
communications modes. Class I terminals include the land-
based Modular Interoperable Surface Terminal (MIST) and the
Maritime Common Data Link- Navy (CDL-N) which was
formerly called the Common High Bandwidth Data Link
Surface Terminal (CHBDL-ST). The CDL itself has been further
developed through a programme funded by the US Defense
Airborne Reconnaissance Office (DARO) and the US Defense
Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to provide a
family of CDL compatible, low-cost, lightweight digital data
links capable of supporting a wide range of Intelligence
Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) applications known as
the Tactical Common Data Link (TCDL).
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MARKET OVERVIEWS: UAV COMMUNICATION LINKS
A version of the TCDL, developed by L-3, has been
selected for the Bell Eagle Eye tiltrotor UAV as well as the
Northrop Grumman RQ-5A Hunter Tactical UAV (TUAV) in
service with the US Army and the Northrop Grumman
RQ-8A Fire Scout. Boeing has also installed an L-3 TCDL
in its optionally-manned MD-530F Little Bird
demonstration UAV. In August 2004 the AAI Corporation
announced that it had started production of an upgraded
version of the RQ-7A Shadow 200, the RQ-7B, with a
modified wing structure to enable the installation of a
TCDL system.
The system’s capabilities were demonstrated in December
2003 when a Raytheon Tactical Control System (TCS) and
an L-3 Tactical Common Data Link (TCDL) system were
installed onboard a Lockheed Martin P-3C Orion, enabling
it to take control of a Northrop Grumman Fire Scout
Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL UAV) which is the
launch demonstration system for the Raytheon TCS, and
then to operate its sensor payload before landing it. This
demonstrated how the UHF, Ku-band TCDL data link (with
a narrow-band uplink for command and control and wide-
band downlink for digital streaming video and other sensor
data) could enhance the P-3C Orion’s own over-the-
horizon surveillance capabilities whilst also improving the
aircraft’s survivability. L-3 Communications - West also
supplies the 12.5 to 18 GHz Ku-band Satcom data link
(KuSDL) for the MQ/RQ-1 Predator using commercial
geostationary satellites to achieve a full duplex Satcom
linkage. Real-time control and data is provided by the
command link with the return link transmitting real-time
electro-optic, infra-red or synthetic aperture radar motion
video to the exploitation facility. A 12.5 to 18 GHz UAV
data link for smaller UAVs such as the Hunter and Shadow
200 systems known as SUDL forms part of L-3’s T-series
product line which evolved from the Tactical Common Data
Link developed by L-3 and Rockwell Collins. L-3 Telemetry
- East, which incorporates the former Aydin Telemetry
Company, has developed a variety of digital data links for
UAV applications, including military airborne data and
video transmitters, command and control receivers, base
station receivers as well as FM and PCM data acquisition
and processing systems.
BAE Systems North America teamed with the Harris
Corporation to co-produce a Tactical Common Data Link
system which was successfully trialled in the US Navy’s
Extending of the Littoral Battlefield exercise in 2001. Prior to
these tests, the BAE Systems/Harris TCDL, which can
transmit radar, video and other data to a range of 200 km,
was validated on the US Air Force’s Portable Ground
Support Equipment (PGSE) which supports the Air Force’s
U-2 programme, the US Army’s Modular Interoperable
Surface Terminal (MIST) and the US Navy’s Common High
Bandwidth Data link (CHBDL) terminal, now known as the
Maritime Common Data Link- Navy (CDL-N). The success of
the 10.71 megabit Ku-band data link system in these tests
effectively cleared its way for use on the Navy LAMPS
helicopter and VTUAV as well as the US Army TUAV and the
US Air Force Predator.
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BAE Systems is also a partner with Rockwell Collins in Data
Link Solutions (DLS) which was formed by GEC-Marconi
Hazeltine (now BAE Systems) and Rockwell Collins in 1996
to pool their resources on Link 16 terminals. DLS completed
the delivery of 832 Multifunctional Information Distribution
Systems (MIDS) Fighter Data Link (FDL) terminals to the US
Navy in November 2004. These terminals are designed not
only to transfer data from a number of US manned aircraft,
but also the X-45 Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle. Use of
the link 16 standard has been suggested by some in the US
as the baseline UAV communications system, as it is the
communications link for the Joint Tactical Information
Distribution System and therefore compatible with NATO
and US future communications requirements for both
manned and unmanned aircraft. This is seen by others as a
very expensive system even though it offers real-time
electronic countermeasures-resistant communications.
In February 2005 the Cubic Corporation unveiled two
variants of its Tactical Common Data Link which were
successfully tested in June 2004. A version of this has
already been selected by the UK MoD for its Watchkeeper
Programme. The two products were a man-portable data
link and a signal intelligence package which is compatible
with the US Navy’s FORCEnet system. They are both
interoperable with the US Navy’s next-generation
communications data link system (CDLS). The man-
portable TCDL system is being developed under a contract
with the US Marine Corps awarded in 2004 and can
operate with any TCDL-based platform including ships,
UAVs and manned aircraft. The FORCEnet-enabled TCDL
system integrates Cubic’s CDR-4000 receiver and can be
pod-mounted on manned combat aircraft or installed
inside a UAV and ground station networks. FORCEnet,
which is defined as the “operational construct and
architecture for US Navy operations in the information age
offering increased combat capabilities through aligned
and integrated systems, functions and missions” will put
the theory of network-centric warfare into operational
use.
Israel
With extensive capabilities developed as a result of its early
adoption of UAVs for intelligence surveillance and
reconnaissance (ISR) tasks, Israel is one of the leading
nations for UAV data link technology. The Elisra Group’s
UAV communications expertise is based on systems
supplied by Tadiran Electronic Systems and Tadiran
Spectralink. Tadiran Spectralink’s data links are produced
using modular architecture and use anti jamming
communications techniques combined with advanced data
compression and expansion systems. They operate in a
variety of frequencies including UHF, L, S, C, X, Ku and Ka
bands. The ground data terminal (GDT) provides uplink and
downlink communications, tracking telemetry and video
channels which are integrated with the ground-based
environment. An airborne data terminal (ADT) provides
uplink control and downlink telemetry and video. Tadiran
Spectralink also provides additional over the horizon range
 MARKET OVERVIEWS: UAV COMMUNICATION LINKS
through its ground data and airborne data relay systems. Its
first generation data links with analogue video and single
L/S-band frequency data links and were installed and
operated on the Mastiff and Scout UAVs.
Second generation data links with digital video and anti-
jamming were developed for Pioneer, Ranger 1 and
Searcher UAVs. Following that the third generation links
with added error correction codes were installed on Ranger
II and Searcher II. Current fourth generation systems
operating in the Ku-band with TDMA are applicable to
Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) UAVs. Its StarLink
system is being developed for mini and micro UAVs.
Development of a fifth generation of data links with Satcom
capabilities is currently taking place.
In March 2005 Tadiran Spectralink launched a multi-
platform drop-in video dissemination system, the V-TVR
Vehicular Tactical Video Receiver, at the Low-Intensity
Conflict (LIC) exhibition in Tel Aviv. As the system is
packaged into a standard vehicle radio set case, it can be
“dropped in” to any standard receiver mounting fitted to
military vehicles and can receive real-time video from UAVs,
attack helicopters, missile boats and other platforms. A
version known as V-RAMBO (Video Receiver and Monitor of
Battlefield Operations) can be worn on the wrist, allowing
the soldier in the field to access the video and telemetry
data viewed on a LCD screen.
Tadiran Electronic Systems produces the In-Tact, ruggedised,
transportable intelligence workstation which receives and
displays real-time video and telemetry data from the UAVs
payloads. The system which operates in the L/S/C and X
bands contains a suite of data manipulation tools which
help the operator to convert the raw data into graphical
intelligence which can be overlaid onto a digital map and
then transmitted via a tactical network. This system can also
be installed on ships and ground vehicles.
The Tadiran L/S/C-band (with optional Ku-band) MRS man-
pack receiving system offers a similar capability and is able
to be transported in a back-pack which houses the
computer, video receiver and antenna. Like the In-Tact
system, it can overlay the converted imagery onto a digital
map along with the camera footprint and other standard
tactical symbols which help to build the overall situation
awareness. It has a 7 km range with an omni antenna which
can be increased to 30 km by switching to a directional
antenna. Tadiran’s most powerful image processing and
telemetry gathering system is the SRST shipborne receiving
station, which is already in service with a number of navies
worldwide. Two stabilised antenna systems are used to help
to overcome the coverage problems presented by the ship’s
structure. These antennas automatically track the UAV’s RF
signals; once received, the signals are converted into
baseboard video and telemetry data. Two SRST systems
operating in the L/S and Ku bands with a range of 150 km
can be installed onboard a ship with each system capable of
receiving data from a different sensor simultaneously
without the need to interface with one another.
Tadiran’s main UAV datalink competitor in Israel is IAI Elta
which produces a comprehensive suite of systems for UAV
command and control and payload data transferral. The
EL/K-1850 Integrated Data Link (IDL) has been designed
for a variety of tasks, including ground-to-ground, ground-
to-air, ship-to-air and air-to-air applications. It can be
customized for UAV applications with the key capabilities
of command and control of UAVs and data transferral
from the UAV imaging, ESM and ECM payloads. It also
provides back-up communication links and over the
horizon data relay. The network is created from the
integration of a family of IAI Elta subsystems including a
fixed or mobile Ground Data Terminal (GDT), an EL/K-1865
air data terminal and an EL/K-1863 video receiving
assembly. It has a relay capability by combining two
terminals into a relay station for extending the
communication range.
The GDT element is available in three main configurations;
the EL/K-1861 mobile or fixed GDT, the EL/K-1862 compact
ground data terminal and the EL/K-1871 downsized GDT.
The EL/K-1861 C-, X-, Ku-band GDT is a high performance
mobile microwave communications terminal with a line of
sight range of over 300 km handling one-way or full duplex
communications and can carry command and telemetry
data (up to 2mbps, black and white/colour RS-170 or CCIR
video and data from 64 kbps to 280 mbps). The EL/K-1862
is a smaller version of the EL/K-1861 which is easier to
transport, as with a weight of 100 kg it does not require a
vehicle the size of a HMMWW to transport it. The range is
about half that of the EL/K-1861 at 160 km, and the entire
system, including the C-, X-band antenna can be
assembled in under 15 minutes. The EL/K-1871 downsized
GDT offers similar capabilities but with a LOS range of 50
to 200 km. The main components to the system (antenna
assembly, transceiver, antenna positioner, tripod and
interface & control unit) weigh 130 lb and can be
transported in two 70 lb cases plus the tripod. The Air Data
Terminal component of the IDL is a full duplex terminal
with a range of 360 km and an uplink and a downlink for
command and control, video, as well as analogue and/or
digital data transmission.
Optional features for the ADT include a spread spectrum
modem for protected communication, video compression
unit for downlink, digital data modem, data encryption
module and a pedestal-mounted directional antenna.
Finally the EL/K-1863 Video Receiving assembly (VRA) gives
the commander in the field the ability to receive video,
telemetry and data direct from the UAV from a LOS range
of up to 100 km. The system only weighs 70 lbs and as such
is very easy to transport in a single case with two bags for
the telescopic mast and other accessories.
Europe and the rest of the world
European communication link technology is getting ever
more sophisticated as European nations begin to
commission more and more UAVs into their armed forces
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and consider the possibility of replacing ageing manned
aircraft with UAVs. An example of the latter is the German
Navy EuroHawk programme, which could eventually see a
version of the Northrop Grumman RQ-4A Global Hawk
(EuroHawk) undertaking the ELINT missions currently being
carried out by the Breguet Atlantic marine patrol aircraft.
QinetiQ in the United Kingdom is taking part in a
programme known as Project Extendor which is looking at
using UAVs as data relay stations. During joint US/UK trials,
data was transmitted using a real-time radio link by a
forward air controller to General Atomics RQ-1 Predator
HALE UAV which relayed it to a UK RAF Jaguar aircraft, thus
demonstrating its ability to extend the communications
range beyond line of sight without using a Satcom system.
These trials also demonstrated the compatibility of UK and
US communications systems by transferring images from a
Jaguar aircraft to a USAF F-16 Fighting Falcon via an
Improved Data modem (IDM) linked directly to the aircraft’s
UHF radio.
Main European UAV communication link suppliers include
Ultra Electronics, Sagem and EADS. EADS was selected by
Rheinmetall Defence Electronics to supply the highly jam-
resistant, Ku-band data link for the German Army KZO
surveillance and reconnaissance UAV. With a LOS range of
150 km in favourable conditions and 100 km through
dense jamming, the data link consists of a single command
uplink and separate TV and telemetry downlinks. It is
backed up with deferred in-flight transmission which allows
for data to be stored and transmitted following a real-time
transmission failure. Another German Army UAV, the LUNA
is also equipped with an EADS data link. Operating in the
C-band and with a LOS range of more than 65 km on a
single downlink it is capable of transmitting real-time data
at a rate of 10.7 Mbps from all 7 video cameras installed on
the LUNA.
EADS announced in 2004 that it had reached an
agreement with Dassault Aviation of France to pursue all
future opportunities for manned and unmanned aircraft
together. As part of this agreement EADS has assumed
prime contractorship for the Ä300m EuroMALE
programme to develop a medium-altitude, long-endurance
UAV capable of remaining airborne for 24 hours with
Thales and Dassault Aviation. Sagem has been brought into
the team to develop the optical payloads, the line of sight
data link and the interoperable functions between the
EuroMALE UAV and the French Sagem SDTI interim tactical
UAV system which is similar to the Sagem Sperwer system
currently in service with the Canadian, Dutch, Swedish,
French, Danish and Greek armies. Sagem and EADS intend
to promote the data link beyond the EuroMALE
programme on the whole UAV market. The platform is
based on the Eagle 1 UAV selected by the French Air Force
in 2004, itself based on the IAI/Malat Heron UAV, but
featuring a Satcom data link with a secure nose-mounted
Ku-band Satcom antenna installed in a remodelled nose
section. Another derivative of the IAI/Malat Heron, the
Hunter II is being proposed by a Northrop Grumman-led
team with Aurora Flight Sciences for the US Army Extended
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Range, Multi-Purpose (ER/MP) UAV equipped with both a
LOS and a Satcom data link enabling worldwide
operations.
Sagem supplies the data link system for all of the operators
of the above-mentioned Sperwer UAV. The main bi-
directional links operate in the 15 GHz band with a range
of 200 km and a data transfer rate of 30 mbps offering real-
time imagery with TRANSEC/COMSEC encrypted data
transmission, they also relay the ATC link, and a UHF back-
up link is also available. Remote video terminals transmit
imagery to advanced positions. The Sperwer
communications system is also capable of extended range
via its inbuilt data relay capability.
The CL-289 which is currently in service with the German
and French Armies is equipped with a SAT (now part of
Sagem) optronic system consisting of two sensors, an
optical 3-lens Zeiss camera and a SAT Corsaire Infra-Red
Linescanner (IRLS) integrated with a UHF data link also
developed by SAT giving real-time video data transmission
over a distance of 75 km. The analogue electrical signals
from the IRLS are transmitted direct to the ground station
using a form of FM modulation. Initially both the French
and the Germans used a machine known as PRIAM to
write the IRLS signals onto a dry silver film using a laser.
Owing to the lack of availability of the dry silver film, the
Germans replaced the PRIAM system with a computerised
data storage and visualisation system developed by EADS.
As the French Army does not use a data link for
operational purpose, it has not adopted the EADS data
storage and visualisation system. The French have also
phased out the original data link which it used primarily
for training purposes as the frequencies are no longer
available in France. NAMSA, the NATO Maintenance and
Supply Agency which acts as the executive agency for the
French and German CL-289 system, has contracted EADS
to develop and supply a new training flight control
system.
Ultra Electronics of the United Kingdom is part of the
Watchkeeper programme as a supplier of data link
simulation, modelling and analysis based on its 15 years of
experience in producing data links. Ultra developed the
High Integrity Data Link (HIDL) for UAVs and UCAVs in
collaboration with Cubic Defence of the US as a result of a
study sponsored by the UK MoD for NATO Project Group 35
with the bulk of the development work taking place at
Ultra’s Greenford site in the United Kingdom using a
modified Cubic radio. The system was required to be a
robust waveform capable of maritime and other harsh
environment operations. It uses a unique spread spectrum
waveform, secure launch, recovery and control data link
able to control up to four UAVs simultaneously either as the
primary link or as complementary to a TCDL interfacing
with a Universal Control Station/Tactical Control Station
STANG 4545.
The HIDL operates in five modes; a high integrity launch
and recovery link, a forward link for sending data to the
 MARKET OVERVIEWS: UAV COMMUNICATION LINKS
UAV from the base station, a reverse link for the
transmission of UAV data back to the base station, forward
relay link for relaying data from the base station to other
UAVs and as a reverse relay link for transmitting data from
other UAVs back to the base station. The link is also able to
relay voice transmissions for integration with civil ATC
installations when operating in controlled airspace. The S-
band system already selected for Watchkeeper Hermes 450
UAV has a range of up to 150 km dependent on the
antenna type and installation and operates in the 2.3 to 2.4
GHz frequency. Delivery of the first HIDL for installation on
a Watchkeeper Hermes 450 platform is scheduled for the
end of 2006. Ultra electronics plays an integral role in the
development of NATO UAV link systems as a contributor to
the STANAG 7085 committee from where it unsuccessfully
supplied a narrow-band data link Annex from which the
HIDL originates.
The NATO Working Group (WG) recognised the potential
for the HIDL as a C2 link which could back up the imagery
TCDL link, selected for STANAG 7085. The members of the
STANAG 7085 WG therefore recommended that the HIDL
should become the subject of an independent stand-alone
STANAG. Ultra have created and proposed the draft as part
of the WG having attended the initial meeting in February
2005 in London where the committee agreed to schedule
the first working meeting for 25th to 29th April 2005.
The UK’s currently fielded UAV, the Phoenix, is equipped
with a data link developed by the Defence Systems Division
of Standard Telephone & Cable, (STC) which was acquired
by Northern Telecom (Nortel) in 1991. The two-way link
capable of transmitting command data on the uplink and
real-time video on the downlink operates in the J-band in a
classified frequency and has achieved ranges of up to 100
km.
In 2001 EADS acquired the Cogent brand, which has its
origins in STC’s Defence Systems Division, from Nortel. The
company has since been renamed EADS Defence & Security
Systems Ltd and is based in Newport, South Wales. It is
active in the development of secure information transfer to
airborne platforms and has been developing strategies that
will ensure that the security measures applied to a Civil UAV
are commensurate with the air vehicle and its intended
operational mission profiles. This takes into account the
“Threats and Weaknesses Desirability” of a system
determining the vulnerabilities from which the appropriate
security measures can be applied. The company is also
involved in the work to obtain defined and protected UAV
communications frequencies and is heading the UK industry
efforts to support the CAA agenda item at the World Radio
Conference in 2007. It also heads the UAVS
Communications and Security Best Practice Group and as
such is one of the industry representatives on the CAA UAV
Working Group.
According to sources at Galileo Avionica, the current UAV
development programmes, Falco and Nibbio, have system
architectures which allow for a wide variety of payload and
data link installations to be plugged in so that the customer
can choose his preferred configuration. Therefore the UAVs
do not come with a specific data link solution. That said,
anything from a basic omni-directional configuration similar
to the one used during the Falco test and evaluation phase
to a fully protected, J-band link available from the Italian
Selenia Communications, currently used on the Italian army
Mirach 150 tactical UAV, could be installed. Galileo Avionica
is also the main subcontractor to EADS on the Carapas
programme. EADS is prime contractor and supplying the
sensor payloads and the data link for the Carapas
demonstrator which is being developed to replace the CL-
289 in the French Army, as well as for the Italian Army. In
both cases it will be known as the Surveyor 600.
Schiebel Elektronische Geraete of Austria, producers of the
Camcopter 5.1 and S-100 VTOL UAVs, also supply the
communication systems for their UAVs, which for the S-100
is the known as the Link Control Module featuring a digital,
multi-channel video transmission and a dedicated full-
duplex payload communication channel. It operates in the
C-band with a frequency of 4.4 to 5.0 GHz and a data
transfer rate of 19.2 kbps on a bi-directional full-duplex
sub-carrier.
An intelligent interface unit with PowerPC processors acts
as a hub between ground components and as an Ethernet
link for distributing the air vehicle and video data. Small,
receive-only, tracking remote data terminals are available
allowing other personnel to view the date in real-time. The
fact that the S-100 can be handed over from one control
station to another makes operations in urban areas easier,
as it means that the LOS link, which has a range of
between 20 and 180 km, is easier to sustain. On top of
that, Satcom communications are an option via a pre-
embedded slot.
Two more VTOL UAVs, the Yamaha Motors RMAX and the
Fuji Heavy Industries RPH2, are used primarily in the
agricultural industry but also have monitoring, observation
and surveillance capabilities and like the Camcopter can
also be used for mine detection operations. The RMAX IIG
ground station known as the position control system
consists of an image monitor and two laptops, one for
command and control and one for observation and
surveillance utilising uplink and downlink channels with
separate receivers for the vehicle data and imagery which is
received in real-time. The communication system,
developed by Futaba and Japan Remote Control operates in
three different frequencies, 2.4 GHz (19200 bps/5 km
range), 1.2 GHz (NTSC data rate/10 km range) 73 MHz
(1200 bps/0.5 km range) and incorporates an RS232C data
link installation. The Fuji RPH2 also supplies real-time
imagery. The UAV operates in the 2.4 GHz frequency for the
program datalink and 73 MHz frequency for the manual
data link with a LOS range of 3 to 6 km.
Finally, in South Africa, the ATE Vulture tactical UAV uses
the G/H frequency C-band Communications System
(CBACS), designed and developed by Tellumat, based just
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outside of Cape Town. It features a new generation hybrid
link with a direct sequenced spread spectrum (DSSS) uplink
as well as an encrypted low latency high resolution
data/video downlink. The system comes with a lightweight
steerable narrow beam antenna which is ideal for mini
ground control stations and long masts. Tellumat also
supplies the MCS communication system for the Denel
Seeker II reconnaissance, target location and artillery fire
correction UAV.
Conclusion
The common thread which binds all of these elements
together is the ability to transmit and receive. This is limited
by the available bandwidth, which in simple terms is the
speed (bits per seconds) with which the data moves from
one device to another, in this case from the UAV to the
ground station and vice versa. The battle for bandwidth has
become one of the most common themes when referring
to UAV operations. During the second Gulf war there were
times when UAV flights had to be cancelled due to the
inability to obtain sufficient bandwidth to make the flights
viable.
Operating UAVs in support of urban warfare operations
also presents its own set of challenges in relation to
maintaining the communications links which can be
degraded by interference from buildings and the way
troops move on the ground, often secreting themselves in
locations where the LOS link is lost. However, the UAV is
rapidly becoming the sensor of choice in urban warfare
situations; not only the large HALE types capable of target
location and surveillance from high altitudes, but
increasingly smaller mini and micro UAVs which fill in a gap
in intelligence by being able to see over the hill and round
the corner. There is a growing realisation that the rapidity of
movement in urban warfare and the difficulties presented
by the dangers of inflicting harm on civilians and damage to
buildings such as hospitals and places of worship may best
be countered by a mixture of UAVs which can offer
extended surveillance, target location, target designation as
well as the weapons delivery vehicle.
The US Army/DARPA Future Combat System (FCS) has
foreseen this requirement and is developing a series of
UAVs capable of undertaking these tasks as part of an
integrated netcentric warfare system. The Organic Air
Vehicles (see article on VTOL UAVs) OAV will be able to
operate in adverse weather conditions and perch and stare
for up to 24 hours. Systems in the Class II OAV competition
are being developed by Team GoldenEye led by Aurora
Flight Sciences with the GoldenEye family of the iSTAR UAV
being proposed by a team led by Honeywell and an as yet
unmanned UAV from the BAE Systems North America
team. The US armed forces have been testing UAVs and the
ability to integrate the communications systems in the
Extended Awareness part of the US Marine Corps Training
in Urban Environments Exercise (TRUEX), which took place
in December 2004.
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Personnel from Joint Forces Command’s Joint Operational
Test Bed System (JOTBS), The Defence Information Systems
Agency (DISA) and the Fort Monmouth Army Intelligence
Information Warfare Directorate (I2WD) organised an
experiment along with representatives from industry
known as Extended Awareness 1 (EA1) designed to
simultaneously integrate and test multiple UAV sensors at
the same time as carrying out warfighting training. During
the exercise DISA tested its Internet Protocol-based two-
way, wideband satellite video and data capability which
works through a global broadcast IP return channel satellite
allowing wideband connectivity to the soldier on the
ground. Two follow-on experiments will take place in 2005
with a view to continue the progress in UAV net-centric
architectures.
The US Army has had to change the way it operates and
trains troops to identify optimum locations for ground data
terminal installations, both fixed and mobile. They have
also had to look for ways to free up space for the
increasing amount of data being transmitted as more and
more systems are introduced into the network. The US
military predicts that both the demand for and supply of
bandwidth on the battlefield will increase substantially by
2010 as the next-generation Army components are fielded,
including the Future Combat System (FCS). It is therefore
introducing advanced systems to cope with the growth in
electronic traffic such as Joint Tactical Radio Systems (JTRS),
Warfighter Information Network-Tactical (WIN-T) and
Multi-band Integrated Satellite Terminal (MIST). A plan is
also being discussed whereby all non-UAV information
from operations, intelligence and fire-support networks
would be loaded onto a single “Backbone net” and all UAV
data would be diverted to a separate high-capacity
network. In the meantime the US armed forces are being
forced to come up with interim tactics to keep the data
moving at acceptable speeds. Curiously enough, the
transmission of PowerPoint presentations is now being
limited on selected networks as they tend to require a lot
of bandwidth.
Military communication links not
only have to be secure and
resistant to Electronic Counter Measures
(ECM) in order to successfully
complete operational tasks without
interference but will also need
to be of the appropriate high-integrity
to allow the vehicles to be
seamlessly integrated with
manned aircraft in controlled airspace.