BAE Unveils Cutting-Edge FireNet Transceiver Following Dazzling Demo for Helicopter Applications

BAE Systems has successfully finalized a capability showcase of its FireNetTM software-defined communication transceiver. The showcase highlighted the FireNet system’s enhanced channel functionalities for rotary-wing aircraft – equipping our military forces with an integrated tactical network and facilitating Joint All Domain Operations (JADO).

“Military engagements will increasingly unfold in network-centric settings that necessitate greater bandwidth and network variety to handle the vast amount of data available,” stated Alan Dewar, director of Integrated Communication Solutions at BAE Systems. “Our FireNet system provides substantial volumes of precise, dependable information exchanged in real-time, empowering warfighters to retain situational awareness and remain interconnected.”

The FireNet system distinctly caters to the U.S. Army Aviation Branch’s channel capacity and waveform requirements with economical, compact, lightweight, and power-efficient solutions. The system’s supplementary narrow-band, wide-band, and Link-16 features offer rotary-wing aircraft a cohesive tactical network that’s ready for Crypto Modernization. Allied and coalition defense operators utilizing Link 16 military tactical data link terminals must upgrade those terminals to a new cryptographic subsystem by 2022.

Engineered for both current and upcoming fleets, this modular open-system architecture solution also allows for additional line-of-sight voice, data, and network communications from very high frequency to S-Band. The FireNet system optimizes flexibility with a compact, standardized footprint, reducing integration efforts for pre-existing aircraft. It enhances current radio installations with concurrent four-channel capability in a two-channel setup.

BAE Systems’ communication offerings encompass airborne, maritime, and terrestrial applications across high frequency to ultra-high frequency ranges. The company’s combat-tested systems display proven reliability, decreasing overall system expenses. These systems also boast multi-band, secure anti-jam voice, data imagery transmission, and network-capable communications.

As a pioneer in narrowband and broadband communication innovations, BAE Systems possesses over two decades of fundamental proficiency in the radio sector. The company’s Common Datalink radio portfolio fuses state-of-the-art wideband, high-speed hardware, and software technologies to deliver the communication solutions required by warfighters in the contemporary battlefield.

Development on the FireNet system will occur at the company’s Fort Wayne, Ind. facility.