Air Force seeking funds to connect weapons in flight.

The Air Force expects to get approval later this year to begin a two-year $30 million program to evaluate the use of communication devices aboard precision-guided missiles and bombs.

This technology would allow commanders to retarget smart weapons after they've been launched, for example, and would help them get visual confirmation of the damage caused by the bombing.

The money will pay for "in-depth studies" that will lead to detailed specifications for weapon data links, such as the bandwidth, message traffic, protocols and software architecture, explained Judy A. Stokley, deputy for acquisition at the Air Force Air Armaments Center.

The weapons designated as "test platforms" for data links are the joint air-to-surface standoff missile, the small diameter bomb and the joint standoff weapon, noted Air Force Maj. Stephen Waller, program manager at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.

Although the notion of "data linking" weapons is attractive to military planners and technically feasible, several issues have to be resolved, such as the concept for how these systems will operate together and whether the sensors and communications devices can be made inexpensive enough that they don't end up costing more than the weapons.

More importantly, all the services will need to agree on the standards and protocols for the technology to be effective in joint operations, said Kevin A. Sheehan, director of strike weapons at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control.

Sheehan categorized data links into three groups. The least sophisticated systems are line-of-sight "point to point," with a single controller operating a single weapon. A more advanced category is called "nodal networks," where there are multiple controllers and weapons, with beyond line-of-sight reach via gateways. The most capable option is the "integrated network," with multiple users connected via satellite into the Defense Department's global information grid, similar to a commercial Internet.

Lockheed Martin is developing its own concept for a data-linked weapon, called the surveillance miniature attack cruise missile. It will be completed in three years, Sheehan told a Precision Strike Association conference. The 6-foot 140-pound missile will be equipped with a 20 cubic-inch Link 16-like system.

The Link 16 is the most widely used data-sharing protocol aboard U.S. military aircraft. The Air Force Research Laboratory awarded Rockwell Collins a $4.1 million contract to "weaponize" the Link 16 radio terminal. By January 2006, the company is expected to develop a 50 cubic-inch system, and reduce it to 20 cubic inches by 2007.

Waller said the miniaturization of the electronics is a "technical challenge" in the program. Achieving a 50-75 cubic-inch diameter antenna is "tough to do," and will take two to three years. It also could be expensive. A miniaturized antenna may end up costing $25,000 or more.

Both Waller and Sheehan stressed that it's unlikely this technology will succeed until the Defense Department agrees on a concept of operations for all the services. "The 'con-ops' drives the systems solution, not the other way around," said Sheehan. "Multiple agencies provide direction, but there are no clear champions" from the top leadership of the Defense Department and me services. A case in point is that the Pentagon's joint tactical radio program has yet to address any requirements for connecting with weapons. "We need to have JTRS for weapons data link," said Sheehan.