Air Force seeking secured comms system for recovery missions

The Air Force is looking for ways to ensure recovery teams have secure data-sharing and communications beyond the line of sight in contested environments as the service implements its Agile Combat Employment strategy.

The capability would provide mobile, high-bandwidth connections from remote locations to major operating bases using military and commercial satellites, 4G LTE or 5G systems, secure WiFi and Bluetooth and the Tactical Data Link, according to a request for information released by the service this week.

The communications hubs the service is looking for would automatically -- and with little manual input -- determine the most effective and secure routes to send data. They would also be small, portable and easy to set up and take down.

“Failure to pursue and procure this technology will result in [Personnel Recovery] forces experiencing combat paralyses,” the post states, “making them ineffective in a peer-level fight.”

Personnel Recovery forces are currently reliant on third-party agencies for these kinds of capabilities.

“This causes a lapse in real-time information sharing, friendly force tracking, battlefield situational awareness, receiving and transmitting information through a Common Operating Picture and the ability to connect to Personnel Recovery Coordination Centers, Joint Personnel Recovery Centers, Personnel Recovery Mission Management and Government Cloud services,” the post states.