Radyne, Raytheon and General Dynamics Troposcatter Modem Used in First Ku Band Link

PHOENIX, June 19, 2006/Satnews Daily/ — Radyne Corp. (NASDAQ:RADN) said on Friday its TM-20 Troposcatter modem was employed successfully to establish an industry-first 20 Mbps Ku band Troposcatter, or "over-the-horizon" communications link.

Ku Band operation enables troposcatter communications to be achieved using a single antenna in contrast to legacy large dual antenna systems. Ku band operation also enables the development of mobile combined troposcatter/satellite/line-of-site communication systems. In contrast, current field-deployable satellite/troposcatter systems require up to six transport vehicles while the system demonstrated is entirely contained on one vehicle.

The TM-20 represents the first significant advance in over-the-horizon technology in almost three decades. The use of modern signal processing techniques and a patented channel-directed-equalizer provides for link performance and configuration flexibility previously unheard of in Troposcatter systems. The TM-20's compact and power conserving design is ideal for mobile and flyaway installations, Radyne said.

The successful demonstration was conducted in conjunction with Radyne troposcatter partners, Raytheon Co. and General Dynamics.

Raytheon said three critical, enhanced Troposcatter (TROPO) capabilities -- speed, size and simplicity -- were highlighted during a recent record-setting demonstration. These capabilities improve bandwidth, reduce the number of vehicles needed for transport of TROPO equipment and establish communications links more expediently.

TROPO is the ability to transmit radio waves over the curvature of the Earth, without using satellites, by bouncing signals off irregularities (small changes in humidity, temperature and pressure) in the troposphere, approximately 6.2 miles (10 kilometers) above the Earth's surface. The U.S. military currently employs TROPO systems for tactical and strategic communications throughout the world.

This communications milestone was achieved using Raytheon's newly-designed Dual Mode All Band Relocatable Communications Transport Terminal (DART-T), a highly transportable, self-contained terminal, configurable for operation in satellite, TROPO and line of-site-modes.

The DART-T uses a single antenna with a dual-beam feed system, rather than the two antennas used on today's TROPO systems, making it significantly more portable. Currently fielded tactical satellite communication and TROPO terminals have a larger footprint and require up to six transport vehicles for the same capabilities that DART-T provides with one vehicle. From a logistics standpoint, DART-T's smaller footprint is critical because fewer vehicles and aircraft are needed for transport to soldiers in the field.

The DART-T also has auto acquisition, replacing the traditional manual alignment of the antennas. Auto acquisition means faster set up in the field and less training for soldiers who today use manual acquisition systems.

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