Optical RF Communications Adjunct (ORCA)
An all-weather, high connectivity, jam resistant, high bandwidth network, ORCA will address the U.S. military's increasing requirements for transmitting and receiving voice, image, video and other critical data simultaneously among dismounted and maneuvering forces, airborne assets, and upper command echelons. This large amount of tactical data is straining the capacity of ground and satellite communications systems currently in use.
Under the one-year cost plus fixed fee contract, the company will develop and demonstrate a prototype tactical network that uses both free space optical (FSO) and radio frequency (RF) links. The company will also provide a "leave behind" capability for the warfighter.
The DARPA project is being led by the company's Electronic Systems sector under the contract administration of the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL). Its team members include L3 Communications (Communications Systems - West Division), Salt Lake City; AOptix Technologies, Campbell, Ca.; and Johns Hopkins University - Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, Md.