Air-to-air applications for millimeter-wave communications

The performance of millimeter-wave (MMW) communications techniques for air-to-air applications is reviewed. The anti-jam (AJ) and low-probability-of intercept (LPI) performance of a communications system resulting from the attenuative characteristics of the atmosphere in the 50–60 GHz band are characterized. The objective of the communications system design is to avoid traditional AJ and LPI techniques such as spread-spectrum modulation and narrow-beam antennas, resulting in a simple system with a robust and secure communications capability.