Cubic-Rockwell
Collins Team Announces Successful Flight Tests of
Miniature Common Data Link Prototype
San
Diego, California/Cedar Rapids, Iowa - Aug. 8, 2007 --
The team of Rockwell Collins (NYSE: COL) and Cubic Defense
Applications, Inc., a defense unit of Cubic Corporation
(Amex: CUB), announced that their new Mini-Common Data
Link (CDL) system has been successfully flight tested
on a King Air platform and a Killer Bee Unmanned Aerial
System (UAS).
During the testing, which was witnessed by representatives
of the U.S. Air Force, Army, Navy and Marine Corps, the
Mini-CDL demonstrated bi-directional communications out
to 20 miles. The Mini-CDL prototype, which weighs less
than
1.5 pounds, demonstrated interoperability with existing
CDL Rev F compliant systems.
“These tests are an important step in the development
of the Mini-CDL system,” said Rick Lober, senior
vice president and general manager of Cubic’s Communications
and Electronics business unit. “The flight tests
demonstrated interoperability of the prototype with CDL-compliant
equipment, which will enable small UAVs to operate in
a DoD-standard communications environment with larger
unmanned and manned systems.”
During the initial flight tests, a prototype air terminal
was flown aboard the King Air at Cubic’s San Diego
headquarters. The system was also integrated into Swift
Engineering’s Killer Bee UAS and flight tested at
the Navy’s El Centro Naval Air Facility.
The tests support the military’s goal of developing
CDL terminals that meet the payload restrictions of Small
Unmanned Aerial Systems (SUAS) platforms and enable data
link communication with current ground systems. Existing
common data link systems are too heavy and too large to
fit within the SUAS platforms.
“The Mini-CDL will ensure interoperable communications
for the small UAVs,” said Bruce King, vice president
and general manager of Communication Systems for Rockwell
Collins. “It will enable the Services to equip their
smaller airborne vehicles with a data link that offers
much greater capability and security than those in use
today, while meeting DoD policy and the small size and
weight restrictions required in these types of UAVs.”
During the tests, the aircraft successfully transmitted
high-bandwidth streaming video from on-board video cameras
to the ground station below. The air terminal achieved
data rates up to 10.7 Mbps, approximately three times
the speed of a typical cable modem. The Mini-TCDL is designed
to operate at rates up to 45 Mbps and achieves interoperability
with other vendors’ units through compliance with
the current DoD CDL waveform specification.
Cubic Defense Applications (CDA), one of Cubic Corporation’s
major segments, is a world leader in realistic combat
training systems, mission support services and defense
electronics. The corporation's other major segment, Cubic
Transportation Systems, designs and manufactures automatic
fare collection systems for public mass transit authorities.
Rockwell Collins (NYSE: COL) is a pioneer in the development
and deployment of innovative communication and aviation
electronics solutions for both commercial and government
applications. Our expertise in flight deck avionics, cabin
electronics, mission communications, information management
and simulation and training is delivered by 19,000 employees,
and a global service and support network that crosses
27 countries. To find out more, please visit www.rockwellcollins.com.