The Autonomous Data Optical Relay Experiment: first two way laser communication between an aircraft and submarine

The Autonomous Data Optical Relay Experiment (ADORE) was held at the Sea Test Range of the Pacific Missile Test Center off the coast of Southern California near San Nicolas Island during May 22-24 and May 28, 1991. The optical communication system operated with a green downlink based on a diode-pumped frequency-doubled Nd:YAG transmitter communicating with a quartz birefringent filter receiver and a blue uplink using an alexandrite laser wavelength shifted to the 455-nm doublet of cesium vapor sending information to a cesium filter receiver. Major achievements of the test included: first duplex laser communication with a submerged submarine; uplink initiated duplex laser communication from a submarine; demonstration of technologies which offer substantially higher performance at lower cost and risk compared with earlier efforts; extending the range and utility of laser communication by error correction coding and pulse summing; and establishing and experimental baseline for developing and investigating covert laser communication with submarine