Strategic nuclear forces have unique communications requirements, which are: (1) global coverage, (2) near 100% availability, (3) long lifetime, (4) low probability of detection/interception (LPI/LPD), (5) able to operate without ground intervention, (6) capable of working through challenging atmospheric environments, (7) capable of working through post-nuclear atmospheric effects, (8) resilient to manmade and natural threats, and (9) providing against natural threats, such as Van Allen radiation belts, solar storms, and geomagnetic storms.
Currently, there are a number of communications systems employed and being developed. However, these systems do not meet all of the requirements. These systems include, but are not limited to, the Military Strategic and Tactical Relay (Milstar) communications network/Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) satellite system, the Lunar Laser Communications Demo (LLCD), the Laser Communications Research Demo (LCRD), and the European Data Relay System (EDRS).
Regarding Milstar/AEHF, AEHF satellites are expensive. In addition, since AEHF satellites are in geosynchronous Earth orbit (GEO), they are easy to detect and track.
LLCD demonstrated laser communications between the Earth and the Moon. LLCD's space element was placed into lunar orbit and was designed to relay scientific data from the Moon to the Earth. Although laser communications is inherently LPI/LPD, and the lunar orbit provides some resiliency to threats, LLCD does not provide global coverage, high availability, long lifetime, or the ability to operate without ground intervention.
LCRD is a planned GEO satellite being developed by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) as a laser communications technology demonstration. However, LCRD is to be located in and easily detectable GEO and does not provide global coverage, high availability, long lifetime, or the ability to operate without ground intervention.
EDRS is a planned GEO-based satellite system being developed by the European Space Agency (ESA) that utilizes an optical crosslink between two satellites. EDRS does not provide global coverage, high availability, long lifetime, or the ability to operate without ground intervention.
As such, there is a need for an improved communications system that is able to meet all of the strategic nuclear forces requirements.