The US Department of Defense (DOD) spending for unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) data links and UAV ground-control stations exceeded $1 billion in federal fiscal year 2010, report market researchers at Frost & Sullivan.

The DOD spending in 2010 was $797.8 million for UAV data links, and $209.8 million for UAV ground-control stations, Frost & Sullivan said in the report US Department of Defense: Unmanned Aircraft System (UAV), Ground Control Stations and Data Links.

UAV data link and ground-control station spending reflects DOD efforts to use UAVs in multi-purpose and multi-role support functions, and adapt a control architecture that is open, standard, scalable and that enables operators to control several UAVs from a common control system, Frost & Sullivan analysts say.

UAV-related tactical data links, meanwhile, accounted for nearly half of DOD spending for data links,. Tactical data links exchange information and situational awareness during combat.

The US Navy consumed most of the UAVrelated data link contracts, accounting for 85.9 per cent of the total spent by all the services in 2010. Updates to common data link (CDL) specification and developmental systems will influence more than 10,000 DOD airborne and ground intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) systems.

Increased dependence on UAVs also will drive the need for redundant anti-jam data link capabilities.

Defence against electromagnetic pulse requires solutions such as shielding and redundancy. Emerging technology such as the US Army’s federated universal synchronisation engine (FUSE) that will combine video feeds and sensor data from several UAVs on one ground control station also may find a niche within the ground-control station market.

The migration towards standardised ground-control station software will open opportunities for companies that have established a foothold in the ground-control station market, analysts say. Other opportunities will involve UAV electronic warfare, data link encryption, and laser weapons.