The UK is researching a substitute communication system to maintain weapons and ammunition development without Wi-Fi connectivity.
The British Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S) agency focuses on Light Fidelity (Li-Fi), a technology leveraging visible light, infrared, or ultraviolet waves to transmit data between devices.
DE&S is now conducting evaluations of Li-Fi’s applications and accessibility at the Defence Munitions Gosport in Portsmouth.
Partners include the agency’s Weapons Operating Center and Digital arms, the UK Strategic Command Defence Digital, and local companies Consolite Technology and Centiant International.
“The lack of connectivity in specialist areas at Defence Munitions sites can significantly disrupt core activity, so being able to bring new optical wireless communications technologies like Li-Fi to complex environments has been a real game changer,” UK Strategic Command Defence digital Innovation Architect Tom Brickell said.
Utilizing Li-Fi Network
According to DE&S, implementing Li-Fi across weapons and ammo facilities will improve productivity for the assembly, integration, testing, and storage operations requiring online technical documentation, test plans, and operation notes.
The capability will also promote collaborative work by enabling real-time information sharing and training between teams.
Moreover, Li-Fi could preserve signal stability in specialized centers where Wi-Fi connection and mobile internet are prohibited due to the safety risks of radio transmissions to complex armaments and shells.
“There are many reasons why Wi-Fi poses a problem for military users,” Consolite Technology CEO Nick Rice explained. “Li-Fi provides radio frequency-free wireless data for explosive atmospheres, as we see in Gosport.”
“Li-Fi also provides data where increased cyber security protection is desirable, and typically much faster data, more than 10 times the sort of speeds we see in our homes.”
DE&S said the tests will conclude later this year. Collected data will be used to inform related investments in the future.
