TrellisWare Technologies has been awarded a contract from the Office of Naval Research (ONR) to build and test a new tropospheric scatter (troposcatter) radio prototype to address the Navy’s communications challenges. The ONR's goal is to employ a robust Beyond Line of Sight (BLoS) troposcatter communications system to support mobile naval operations for both ship-to-ship and ship-to-shore links as an alternative to satellite communications (SATCOM).
TrellisWare’s prototype troposcatter radio will use a new waveform that has been optimized to maintain reliable and robust troposcatter communications, even in challenging and highly variable propagation conditions. This waveform was developed and successfully tested over-the-air between San Diego and Los Angeles County in late 2019 under a prior ONR contract to TrellisWare.
Marcus Urie, Manager of Technology Development, stated that TrellisWare has been working with ONR since 2017 to study the feasibility of mobile naval troposcatter communications. Over the last several years, the engineering team has done an excellent job evaluating the additional system complexities that will be required to maintain reliable troposcatter communications during mobile at-sea operations. Their team is excited to continue working with ONR to take the next step in the evolution of this naval capability.
TrellisWare’s troposcatter radio will provide reliable over-the-horizon communication with significantly lower Size, Weight, and Power (SWaP) relative to traditional troposcatter capabilities. The combination of a more robust waveform with a lower SWaP terminal will enable better integration with antenna pointing (acquisition), tracking, and stabilization (PTS) techniques, leading the way for a mobile troposcatter capability.
As a leading provider of robust communications solutions for the Department of Defense (DoD), TrellisWare is well positioned to build and test a reliable solution for the Navy’s communications challenges. TrellisWare will validate the prototype troposcatter radio performance in over-the-air test and demonstration campaigns in late 2021.
