Boeing has demonstrated high-speed wireless communications technology developed by Harris aboard the ScanEagle unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) it is producing with The Insitu Group. According to sister publication Defense Daily, the ScanEagle, enabled by Harris Type 1 classified SecNet-11 Plus technology in the UAV`s avionics bay, received streaming video and voice-over Internet Protocol communications from a ground control station 18 miles away over a secure high-bandwidth network. The data then was instantaneously relayed to ground personnel six miles from the UAV.

``This flight demonstrated the capability for troops on the ground to receive critical information and situational awareness in a secure environment,`` Dave Martin, Boeing`s ScanEagle program manager, said in a statement. ``ScanEagle and SecNet-11 together provide secure bandwidth and aerial relay endurance, key factors in creating a network centric battlefield.`` Boeing and Insitu last year signed a long-term contract to continue collaborative efforts and begin production on the ScanEagle.

As background, the UAV is launched via a pneumatic wedge catapult launcher, and it flies pre-programmed or operator-initiated missions. Operators retrieve the vehicle using a skyhook maneuver in which the UAV catches a rope hanging from a 50-foot pole.