Rapid prototyping and test of a C4ISR Ku-band antenna pointing and stabilization system for communications on-the-move

A key requirement of the Army´s future combat system (FCS) is that of wideband communication-on-the-move (COTM) while traversing rough, off-road terrain at moderate speed. This capability was recently demonstrated during COTM exercises involving the C4ISR Ku transmission subsystem operating on a HMMWV and communicating with an airborne vehicle. This paper provides an overview of this data link´s functional architecture with emphasis given to the design, implementation, and test of the pointing and stabilization subsystem. Development cost and schedule advantages realized by using a model-based design approach for realization and test of the embedded control software are described. The performance of the stabilization system on MIT´s 6DOF motion table is provided, and the end-to-end operation of the entire communication link on-the-move at Lakehurst NJ on a HMMWV while receiving live data from an airborne target is discussed