On 21 November 2024, at the NIDV Exhibition Defence and Security (NEDS) in Rotterdam, the Dutch Ministry of Defence signed a contract with the Optical Communication Alliance for the next phase of a Wireless Optical Communication system. Aircision joined the alliance alongside Signify, FSO Instruments, SMART Photonics, Secura, TNO, and Brainport Development, a coalition that had been building toward this moment since forming the year before.
The premise behind the alliance is direct: connect every defence unit, whether on the ground, in the air, at sea, or in space, through light instead of radio. Optical links are effectively undetectable and immune to jamming, characteristics that matter as much for a naval vessel operating in contested waters as for a command post that cannot risk radio interception.
The partners are working toward a shared test bed from which they aim to develop commercial end products enabling secure wireless communication for both defence and civilian use. It is now up to the Ministry of Defence to assess which of theresulting technologies fit the armed forces' operational needs.
All new technology must help Defence prepare for main task 1, protecting its territory and that of our allies. — Dutch Ministry of Defence, official statement
For Aircision, the contract represented a significant validation: recognition, and funding, from a government customer for a defence-grade optical wireless system, builton the same core FSO technology the company had spent years proving in civilian field tests.
FAQ
Why does the Dutch Ministry of Defence use optical wireless links?
Optical links are effectively undetectable and resistant to jamming, letting defence units communicate on the ground, at sea, and with satellites without the interception risk radio carries.
Quick facts
- Date signed: 21 November 2024
- Location: NEDS exhibition, AHOY Rotterdam
- Alliance members: Ministry of Defence, Aircision, Signify, FSO Instruments, SMART Photonics, Secura, TNO, Brainport Development
- Use cases: Short and long range, indoor, with satellites, and with troops on the ground, in the air, and at sea
Original source
Sourced from: Defensie.nl, Dutch Ministry of Defence, official, 23 November 2024 (event held21 November 2024). https://www.defensie.nl/actueel/nieuws/2024/11/21/neds-stap-voorwaarts-voor-nieuwe-technologieprojecten
Also covered by
IO+,"Ministry of Defense contracts to develop a system for Wireless OpticalCommunication" (23 November 2024). https://ioplus.nl/en/posts/ministry-of-defense-contracts-to-develop-a-system-for-wireless-optical-communication
Defensie.nl /Materieelgezien, official Ministry of Defence magazine, "In 't kort". https://magazines.defensie.nl/materieelgezien/2024/10/materieel-in-het-kort
