An Absolutely FAB Demo For Boeing

The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] has successfully demonstrated secure interoperable communications between two Family of Advanced Beyond line-of-sight Terminals (FAB-T) software-defined radios. This validates a capability that eventually will link ground, air and space platforms. The demonstration, held in October at Boeing’s FAB-T Systems Integration Laboratory in Anaheim, California, completes the initial Engineering Development Model (EDM) hardware and software integration of a Block 6 Phase 1 terminal for the U.S. Air Force. The multi-terminal link capability demonstration used a simulated Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF)/Military Strategic and Tactical Relay (Milstar) satellite to communicate over live radio frequency links. Demonstrating product maturity, the FAB-T team also integrated terminal software with the first EDM Modem Processor Group. Engineers then transferred the capability to the L-3 Communications FAB-T Terminal Integration Laboratory, where antenna layer integration with additional systems is being completed.




FAB-T is intended to provide military forces with a secure multi-mission capable family of software-defined radios that use a common open system architecture to link to different satellites and enable information exchange between ground, air and space platforms. The FAB-T family includes software-defined radios, antennas and associated user interface hardware that will provide the government with a powerful system capable of hosting a multitude of waveforms that accommodate data rates in excess of 300 Megabits per second. The Increment 1 development phase will create a FAB-T system that fulfills operational terminal requirements for the Milstar and AEHF satellite systems. Using the first increment as a baseline, Increment 2 will develop terminals to support Wideband Global SATCOM satellite operations on surveillance aircraft like Global Hawk with other platforms to follow—St. Lois, Missouri