Northrop Grumman to design hybrid optical-RF communications network

Northrop Grumman has been awarded a $46.1 million contract by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) for the Optical RF Communications Adjunct (ORCA) project, an all-weather, high connectivity, jam resistant, high bandwidth network.

ORCA will address the US military's increasing requirements for transmitting and receiving voice, image, video and other critical data simultaneously among dismounted and maneuvering forces, airborne assets, and upper command echelons. This large amount of tactical data is straining the capacity of ground and satellite communications systems currently in use.

Under the one-year cost plus fixed fee contract, the company will develop and demonstrate a prototype tactical network that uses both free space optical (FSO) and radio frequency (RF) links. The company will also provide a ``leave behind'' capability for the warfighter.

"ORCA will develop and demonstrate a critical component needed to ensure all of our mobile forces access to reliable, affordable, and secure high capacity network connectivity," said Chuck Brinkman, sector vice president and general manager of Northrop Grumman's Advanced Concepts and Technologies Division.

The DARPA project is being led byNorthrop's Electronic Systems sector. Its team members include L3 Communications, AOptix Technologies and John Hopkins University - Applied Physics Laboratory.

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