The Air Force has contracted with Space Data Corp. to provide a communications system that will aid battlefield communications from a balloon-borne platform in near space. Tests have shown that the system can extend ground-to-ground voice and data communications from 10 miles to more than 400 miles. The latest experiment took place this spring under a program called Combat Skysat. The contract award is $49 million.
A top Pentagon tech official called on industry this week to help the military develop “lighter, more efficient” directed energy weapons designed to go on aircraft and conduct special operations missions or down drones—areas where the Air Force’s directed energy efforts have been quiet as of late.