Contact: Stephen Jenny Director, Strategic Initiatives L-3

Communication Systems-West
640 North 2200 West
Salt Lake City, UT 84116
801-594-2000 Fax: 801-594-2127
News
Contact: Stephen Jenny
Director, Strategic Initiatives
L-3 Communication Systems-West
801-594-3685
For Immediate Release
L-3 Communication Systems-West Brings Micro BE-CDL Capability to
Small, Handheld Unmanned Aircraft Systems
Successful Flight Tests Demonstrate BE-CDL Video and Level-3 Control of Unmanned Aircraft Systems
SALT LAKE CITY, April 14, 2014 – L-3 Communication Systems-West (L-3 CS-West), a leading
provider of communications for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) for unmanned
systems, has successfully demonstrated that the government-standard Bandwidth Efficient
Common Data Link (BE-CDL) waveform can be transmitted through small, low-cost terminals
designed for platforms under 30 pounds. A series of recent flight tests verified that common data
link (CDL) compliance can be brought to the smallest platforms, ensuring that they conform to the
Office of the Secretary of Defense’s (OSD) mandate that all manned and unmanned ISR
platforms carry CDL to support multi-service interoperability.
Two different flight tests were completed. One demonstration used a Lockheed Martin flying wing
hand-launched unmanned aircraft system (UAS) at Dugway Proving Grounds in Utah. This test
demonstrated full-motion video transmission to a handheld Remotely Operated Video Enhanced
Receiver 5 (ROVER 5). The second flight test took place on Insitu’s Integrator UAS at an airfield
in eastern Oregon. Integrator is the commercial variant of the U.S. Marine Corps and Navy’s RQ21A Blackjack. This test demonstrated full-motion video and Level of Interoperability 3 control by a
ROVER 5.
“These demonstrations prove BE-CDL can be integrated into new miniature modem technologies
and flown on smaller aircraft — leading to more interoperability and accessibility of data for end
users,” said Richard Slabinski, vice president of programs at L-3 CS-West.
L-3 Communication Systems-West (L-3 CS-West) is a leader in communications systems for highperformance intelligence collection, imagery processing and satellite communications for the U.S.
Department of Defense and other government agencies. The company provides high data rate,
wideband, secure, real-time communications systems for surveillance and reconnaissance. To learn
more about L-3 CS-West, please visit the company’s website at www.L-3com.com/csw.
Headquartered in New York City, L-3 employs approximately 48,000 people worldwide and is a
prime contractor in aerospace systems and national security solutions. L-3 is also a leading
L-3 CSW Brings Micro BE-CDL Capability to Small, Handheld Unmanned Aircraft Systems
Page 2
provider of a broad range of communication and electronic systems and products used on
military and commercial platforms. The company reported 2013 sales of $12.6 billion. To learn
more about L-3, please visit the company’s website at www.L-3com.com.
Safe Harbor Statement Under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995
Except for historical information contained herein, the matters set forth in this news release are
forward-looking statements. Statements that are predictive in nature, that depend upon or refer to
events or conditions or that include words such as “expects,” “anticipates,” “intends,” “plans,”
“believes,” “estimates,” “will,” “could” and similar expressions are forward-looking statements. The
forward-looking statements set forth above involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could
cause actual results to differ materially from any such statement, including the risks and
uncertainties discussed in the company’s Safe Harbor Compliance Statement for Forward-Looking
Statements included in the company’s recent filings, including Forms 10-K and 10-Q, with the
Securities and Exchange Commission. The forward-looking statements speak only as of the date
made, and the company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements.
###
L-3 CSW Brings Micro BE-CDL Capability to Small, Handheld Unmanned Aircraft Systems
Page 2
L-3 CS-West proved BE-CDL data links can be miniaturized and flown on small, handheld unmanned aircraft.

Download Report