Military communications (MILCOM) has been the backbone for deployed soldiers since the Vietnam War. While these units have proven their capability and security for decades, the next generation of MILCOM platforms will need to leverage more modern communication technologies that have been developed to enable commercial platforms such as cell phones and Wi-Fi. MILCOM systems are often handheld units—walkie talkies—with a push to talk (PTT) button that the users can press when they need to relay a voice message. When the PTT button is not depressed, an incoming voice message can be received from another walkie talkie. The voice message relayed between two radios is modulated, encrypted, amplified, and transmitted wirelessly between the two soldiers. There are many differences between these MILCOM walkie talkies and a commercial cell phone or communication system. Next generation MILCOM platforms face the challenge of maintaining several of these critical differences, while closing some of the gaps between military and commercial communications systems.
Related Content
5G Application
RadioThorium in TDD and FDD Configurations
This use case outlines the procedure and profile setting of the RadioThorium module for baseband TDD and IF-mode FDD configurations.
February 24, 2024
RF Technical Articles
A Review of Wideband RF Receiver Architecture Options
This article compares the benefits and challenges of three common receiver architectures: a heterodyne receiver, a direct sampling receiver.
September 12, 2022
Radar Application
Combining the Best of Both Worlds: True Time Delays and Phase Shifters
This article reviews the strengths and weaknesses of two electronic beamforming techniques: phase shifters (PSs) and true time delays (TTDs).
September 5, 2022