The past decade has seen a massive increase in the use of unmanned aircraft to provide intelligence and communications to the military and other government agencies. Stratogis has worked closely with large and small platform manufacturers to develop innovative architectures and payloads that take advantage of these platform capabilities. We have developed a suite of analysis tools that allow us to rapidly evaluate platform and architecture effectiveness for today's and tomorrow's missions and threats.

Stratogis worked with a major aerospace prime to develop high altitude unmanned Airborne Communication Nodes (ACN) designs that provide organic, high capacity, anti-jam communications for ground and naval forces. We evaluated a wide range of design parameters including frequency band; antenna type, number of beams and beam size; operating altitude; and payload channelization. In addition, we evaluated a number of cross link, CDL downlink and satellite CDL link communication options to connecting the ACN's to the GIG. Finally, we assessed the operational effectiveness of each design for supporting major combat operations in large theaters.

Stratogis worked with a Defense Aerospace contractor to a develop tethered, low altitude, lighter-than-air unmanned vehicle architecture that provides intelligence and communications coverage in Afghanistan. In particular, we developed high fidelity, Digital Terrain Elevation Data (DTED) RF models to maximize coverage with a minimum number of platforms. By using optimization algorithms, we maximized the coverage of areas around airfields and forward operating bases as well as key transportation routes.

Stratogis worked with a small lighter than air unmanned aircraft manufacturer to design communications payloads for rapidly fielded, very low cost, long dwell platforms. The designs made maximum use of high altitude qualified, off the shelf radio equipment and innovative co-channel interference cancellation technology to maximize the number of radio channels supported by the low cost platform.