Via Satellite archive photo (Shutterstock)

Atombeam has received an expanded contract from the Space Development Agency for the company’s Neurpac technology to improve the data transmission capabilities of Link 16. The award announced Wednesday is an expansion of a Phase II Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant. 

Atombeam says it demonstrated Neurpac to SDA, and it reduced Link 16 data streams over military satellites by 86% to 89% while increasing available bandwidth by a factor of seven to nine times. Atombeam said it will work to improve the backhaul capabilities and performance of Link 16 terminals with a software only solution.

The contract extension is worth $776,000, bringing the total contract value to just under $1.98 million, a representative for Atombeam confirmed to Via Satellite. Under the expanded contract, Atombeam will test Neurpac over the SDA’s own satellite network; and test Link 16 data.

Link 16 is a tactical datalink communication system used by the U.S., NATO, and coalition forces to transmit and exchange real-time situational awareness data. The Space Development Agency has done Link 16 demonstrations with Tranche 0 satellites in the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture, both space-to-ground and space-to-aircraft carrier. 

Atombeam explains Neurpac as an AI and machine learning technology that generates codewords as a more efficient data transmission from the edge to the cloud, to reduce the size of data. 

“Neurpac is a force multiplier for data superiority, literally multiplying data available across existing links and networks four times or more. Combined with the access that the ultimate high ground — space — provides, this is a game changing capability,” commented retired Rear Admiral C. D. Becker, former commander of the Naval Information Warfare Command and Program Executive Officer for C4I, and Atombeam board member.