Compatibility of unmanned aircraft control links in the 5030–5091 MHz band

Abstract

This paper investigates the feasibility of operating future terrestrial air/ground control links for unmanned aircraft (UA) systems (UAS) in the 5030–5091 MHz band. Any new service proposed for this band must be compatible with the existing Microwave Landing System (MLS) and with the aeronautical-mobile satellite (route) service (AMS(R)S), which also has a spectral allocation in the band. No actual satellite communications (SATCOM) systems are currently using the AMS(R)S allocation, but one has been proposed to meet some of the future needs of satellite-based UAS control links. Our compatibility analysis demonstrates that it is feasible for terrestrial UAS control links to share the band with MLS and SATCOM UAS control links.