Challenge

The Department of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces (DND/CAF) are seeking extremely wideband multi-functional vehicle- or soldier-based antenna or communication solutions for point-to-point field communications that minimize or eliminate associated visual and/or Electromagnetic (EM) signatures.

Background and Context

The CAF must operate dispersed over wide areas and retain the ability to aggregate quickly when necessary. For example, the CAF must be able to disperse for: major combat operations, stability operations to provide security over a wide area, and humanitarian and disaster relief operations to assist multiple separated population centres. A limiting factor in this ability to operate dispersed over distance and terrain is communication distance which is in turn constrained by current antenna design, operational range, bandwidth and the number of potential communication nodes.

In addition to communication limits constraining CAF operating range, current antennas present challenges to camouflage and concealment, both visual and EM, in operational environments. To support operations the Canadian Army has access to a large range of the radio frequency spectrum. Current antenna solutions either have long range and low bandwidth or short range and high bandwidth, but not both concurrently. To make full operational use of the available radio frequency spectrum the CAF must use multiple radio communication suites and their associated antennas. These multiple antennas are visible to adversaries, take up needed vehicle surface area when installed concurrently, and enable capability profiling of vehicles. Additionally, current antenna solutions can cause challenges with regards to spectrum access, EM interference between like-systems, and for longer antennas specifically, are required to be tied-down in urban areas to prevent damage which impacts the ability to communicate at range.

Finally, sensor platforms of the future will require higher data transfer rates over longer ranges using lower power transmitters and receivers, putting further strain on current communication systems.

Essential Outcomes

DND/CAF is looking for innovative research, design concepts, technologies and systems.

Proposed solutions must:

• Provide mobile vehicle- or soldier-based communication solutions that enable secure point-to-point communication for both data and voice that minimise or eliminate the visual and/or EM signatures.

Desired Outcomes

Proposed solutions should include capabilities such as, but not limited to, the following:

• Antenna or communication solutions with smaller, reconfigured, or reconfigurable footprints for both vehicle and dismounted communication systems;
• Multi-functional antenna or communication solutions that enable use across multiple channels and directions concurrently; and
• Tools for standardized voice and data amalgamation between various antenna and radio systems.