Technology Assessment for Future MILSATCOM Systems; An Update of the EHF Bands.

摘要

Severe crowding of the radio frequency spectrum and of the geostationary orbital arc, coupled with Dod requirements for increased bandwidth, impel the transition of future MILSATCOM systems to operating frequencies between 20 and 50 GHz (EHF). The development of the systems architecture and transitional strategy are the current focus of DCA/MSO studies. This report, prepared in support of the DCA/MSO, assesses the technology necessary to support MILSATCOM evolution to EHF. The technology assessment delineates the current and projected availabilities of critical MILSATCOM subsystems. In addition, the equally critical issues of producibility, reliability and cost are addressed. To provide a basis for these issues, a qualitative assessment is presented of the limits, frequency dependence and implementation of EHF technology, the commercial availability of components and test equipment in these bands, and the production base at EHF. The emphasis in the subsystem assessment is directed toward the high power amplifier (HPA) which has been identified as the most costly and critical subsystem. Toward that end, traveling wave tube amplifiers (TWTAs) and solid-state amplifiers (SSAs) are assessed for both the ground and space segments.