Communications
This focus areas covers the whole spectrum of communications, on both wired and wireless networks, as well as the various multilevel emitting and security modes of these communications. For military applications, networks have to be robust, light, reliable and interoperable on every operational level, while taking into account the auto(re)configuration, redundancy and service quality aspects. Therefore, in the same way as for the human systems, resilience holds a very particular importance in the military communication systems. Cyberwarfare actions or CNO (Computer Network Operations) within these networks are addressed in the focus areas A5 “Cybersecurity”.
For Belgian Defence, the emphasis is put on the NCO (Network-Centric Operations) applications, the “all over network” and the “all-IP (Internet Protocol)”, both in terms of services and (fix or (semi-)mobile, civilian and/or military) networks, among which for example the acquisition programme for the next-generation radio: the SDR (Software Defined Radio). The interoperability of our networks during operations or the integration with other national or even international (civilian) security services has also to be considered.
Given the future impact of satellite communications (SatCom), the latter also have to be taken into account. For the applications on vehicles, the SatCom-On-The-Move (SOTM) should offer a total, integrated solution enabling reliable communications on long distances in the X, Ku or Ka-bands. The system must ensure reliability, flexibility and robustness at the same time. The demonstration of the general capacities of SOTM systems, as well as the performance tests of the tracking unit, are an integral part of the development of these systems.