The tactical or battlefield communications market requires transportable systems that can be set up quickly in the field, under difficult conditions, to establish communication links. RF phased arrays (see Technology section for details) are used today for high direction beamforming and electronic steering, but compared to Holographic Beam Forming™ (HBF), the technology is high C-SWaP. Conformance to curved surfaces, meanwhile, is out of the question.
This benefit, along with low C-SWaP, have generated new urgency with miniaturized battlefield drones. Low size, weight, and power — and aerodynamic conformance — allow them to fly farther and faster, devoting less payload to typical communications gear. And relative to phased array technology, HBF’s lower cost means more drones can deployed.