RTX’s BBN Unveils PACE4ACE Auto-Switching System for Uninterrupted Combat Data
RTX’s BBN Technologies, funded by the Air Force Research Laboratory, demonstrated PACE4ACE, an auto-switching system that reroutes network traffic across satellite and radio links to maintain uninterrupted combat data flow under jamming. In a test at four sites, it seamlessly switched between waveforms to preserve situational awareness and application synchronization.
1. System Background and Funding
RTX’s BBN Technologies developed PACE4ACE under a contract with the Air Force Research Laboratory to address contested military communications. The self-healing architecture—Primary, Alternate, Contingency and Emergency for Agile Combat Employment—automatically evaluates available satellite and radio pathways, switching in real time without operator input to ensure continuous data flow for combat air support.
2. Demonstration Results
During the field exercise, four geographically dispersed sites remained connected even when high-capacity links were deliberately jammed. PACE4ACE instantly rerouted traffic to the next viable waveform, maintaining Open Mission Systems and Team Awareness Kit synchronization and preserving crews’ situational awareness throughout the scenario.
3. Technical Features and Collaborations
PACE4ACE integrates resilient, self-healing communications with a compact, low SWaP design suited for power-constrained platforms. It offers multiband support, plug-and-play setup with common mission systems, and dynamic real-time routing. Long-range radios were provided by the Institute for Human & Machine Cognition, and Collins Aerospace supplied high-frequency support.