From: Ad 

Interesting idea which I'm sure will catch on.

http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/2005/12/elec-tricks-turning-aesa-radars-int
o-broadband-comlinks/index.php

"Aviation Week & Space Technology reports that Northrop Grumman
and L-3 Communications came up with an interesting finding while doing
private research in this area: active electronically scanned array (AESA)
radars can also be modified to send and receive large amounts of
information at high data rates.

While the demonstration was done using the F/A-22's ultra-advanced 1,500+
element AN/APG-77 radar, the engineers involved say the idea should work
with any AESA radar (the F-15's new APG-63, the F/A-18 E/F and EA-18G's
APG-79, the F-16's new APG-80, or the F-35 JSF's APG-81). The system may
even get increased bandwidth from bigger AESA radars like the MP-RTIP
radars planned for the RQ-4 Global Hawk and some new AWACS and ELINT/SIGINT
planes. Unsurprisingly, US Air Combat Command is very interested. So, how
does this work?"


Adam

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