SBIR-STTR Award

The objective of Phase I is to define how best to remote antennas up to 500 meters with a feasible equipment solution. Moving antennas away from Brigade and Battalion command posts is critical to improving their survivability against an opponent that can find and attack our command and control (C2) assets. Correctly designed, the same antenna remoting equipment can also improve command post agility with reduced setup and teardown times, plus simplify command post configurations. To achieve the best feasible and operationally desirable approach to antenna remoting, Syntonics applies our systems engineering expertise to: Perform an all-encompassing trade study of alternative methods for remote combat net radio/antenna placement; Analyze approaches and opportunities for signal aggregation based on command post radio and platform distribution, and antenna aggregation for multiple transmitters and receivers; analyze the potential for aggregating transceivers by band; and Analyze packaging and power approaches for the remote systems. We develop a comprehensive white paper that substantiates findings, draws conclusions about how best to remote antennas and, during the Option period, develop a conceptual design for the Phase II prototype system.

Phase II prototypes and demonstrates a Command Post Antenna Remoting System (CARS) that can remote antennas for up to six radios in these frequency bands: HF (1.6-30 MHz), Low VHF (30-88 MHz), and UHF (225-450 MHz). The planned radios are the PRC-150/160 (HF); RT-1523 ASIP (SINCGARS/Low VHF), and PRC-117G (UHF), although many other radio types can interoperate with CARS. Each antenna remoting link uses external power amplifiers at the antenna site, reducing CARS size-weight-power-cost (SWaP-C) by adopting standard power amplifiers that are already purchased by the Army in large quantities and sustained by its logistics system. The prototype CARS remotes antennas up to 500-m. Each radio connects to CARS with an RF and, in many cases, a C2 interface cable. The C2 interface enables CARS to "know" the channel being used by the radio, to tune hopping filters inside the CARS system; a classic example is the "SNAP" hopping interface on the RT-1523 ASIP. In the case of the HF radio, the Harris PRC-150/160, the C2 interface enables the transceiver to communicate with the remote power amplifier and, if used, the remote antenna tuner.