Together with aerospace company Airbus, VDL have announced their plan to develop lasers that will enable aircraft and drones to communicate faster and better.
The so-called ‘laser communication terminals’ would enable military aircraft and drones to exchange more information with satellites and ground stations in a shorter period of time. At present, aircraft communication takes place via radio connections.
With laser communication, a thousand times more data can be processed ten times faster, according to VDL. Laser connections would also suffer from less interference and would be more energy efficient.
Test flight
Airbus and VDL will jointly develop a prototype for the new communication technology. A first test flight with the new means of communication is planned for launch in 2025. In addition to VDL and Airbus, research organization TNO is also involved in the development of laser communication.
Source: Studio040
Translated by: Shanthi Ramani
