Digital data link (DDL) through battlefield combat identification system (BCIS)

During the development phase of the battlefield combat identification system (BCIS) equipment, the Army/TRW-Magnavox Team explored ways to exploit the data carrying capacity of BCIS with respect to providing short range situation awareness (SA) communication links on the tactical battlefield. These LPI/LPD digital data links (DDL) play a secondary role to the BCIS primary task of achieving a high probability of friend identification via a cooperative question-answer exchange. Some of the major issues in implementing the DDL as an integral feature in BCIS were the possibility of degrading friend ID performance and the concern that the range that could be achieved with 0.5 watts transmitted and received using the BCIS omnidirectional antenna would be sufficient to be practical in the tactical scenarios. After preliminary analysis indicated that these issues would be satisfactorily resolved a program to demonstrate a DDL capability was initiated. This paper introduces the basic concept of the DDL and provides the initial tests that were performed using the current BCIS equipment.