Cubic Awarded Contract to Demonstrate High Capacity Backbone System for U.S. Air Force
August 3, 2020 | Business WireEstimated reading time: 1 minute
Cubic Corporation announces its Cubic Mission Solutions business division was awarded a contract worth $38 million to deliver a Joint Aerial Layer Network (JALN) High Capacity Backbone (HCB) prototype for the U.S. Air Force (USAF). The HCB is a critical element of the JALN, designed to maintain network connectivity among joint forces across the aerial layer. Cubic’s offering for USAF will consist of integrated capabilities across its Protected Communications and Command and Control, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C2ISR) portfolios.
“Cubic’s selection by the USAF is a testament to our team and partners’ continuous pursuit to build this critical warfighting network prototype,” said Mike Twyman, president of Cubic Mission Solutions. “Our innovations address aerial layer networking needs to ensure agile and resilient communications; we are honored USAF trusts in us to build a critical enabler for Joint All-Domain Command and Control (JADC2) capability.”
Cubic will deliver a high-capacity, extended range, self-organizing and self-healing JALN HCB that connects warfighters to a mission-optimized network of networks in satellite communications-challenged environments. Cubic’s solution will ensure network availability and resiliency in all environments, accelerate data delivery for increased decision speed and support advanced warfighting concepts.
“We are inspired by this opportunity to bring Cubic innovation into the JALN,” said Marja Phipps, director of business development, Cubic Mission Solutions. “Over the last decade, Cubic has partnered with government stakeholders and invested significantly in the development of assured network connectivity solutions. Our team is eager to deliver HCB operational utility to the joint warfighter.”
Cubic’s partners for HCB include Raytheon BBN and Expeditionary Engineering, who will provide advanced aerial networking technology and expertise.
Testimonial
"We’re proud to call I-Connect007 a trusted partner. Their innovative approach and industry insight made our podcast collaboration a success by connecting us with the right audience and delivering real results."
Julia McCaffrey - NCAB GroupSuggested Items
OKI Develops 180-Layer, 15 mm PCB for AI Semiconductor Test Equipment
04/29/2026 | BUSINESS WIREOKI Circuit Technology, the OKI Group’s printed circuit board (PCB) business company, has successfully developed design and production technologies for 180-layer, 15 mm-thick PCBs intended for use in wafer testing equipment for high bandwidth memory (HBM) mounted on AI semiconductors.
Target Condition: An Exploration of Flooding PCB Layers
04/02/2026 | Kelly Dack -- Column: Target ConditionThe concept of flooding PCB layers with copper has been around for so long, you’d think we’d have it mastered. We haven’t. (Oh, and by “we,” I mean design engineers and the software tools we depend on.) Years ago, PCB artwork was created by hand using light tables, with tape applied to Mylar. Signals were slow, traces were relatively wide, and high-current paths were simply “beefed up” with wider copper. Signal integrity wasn’t yet a driving concern. Today, solid return paths are fundamental to robust design. We understand the importance of continuous reference planes for signal integrity and EMI control.
Happy’s Tech Talk #47: Automation for Complex Multilayer Fabrication Stackups
03/31/2026 | Happy Holden -- Column: Happy’s Tech TalkMultilayer stackups have evolved dramatically as they’ve been adopted for high-performance computing (HPC) and artificial intelligence (AI) server applications. These high-speed, high I/O designs require the designer and fabricator to manage more boundary conditions than ever before. In practice, the stackup is no longer “just a stackup.” It becomes the foundation for signal integrity, reliability, manufacturability, and cost.
SCHMID Group Wins Major Order for Wet-Process Equipment for AI & HPC Infrastructure
03/11/2026 | SCHMID GroupSCHMID Group, a leading global supplier of advanced wet process equipment for the electronics manufacturing industry, has secured a lower two-digit million-USD purchase order from a major Asian high-end PCB manufacturer for a new HDI multilayer production line.
Standard of Excellence: Building the Board of the Future—Materials, Methods, and Mindset
02/18/2026 | Anaya Vardya -- Column: Standard of ExcellenceThe future of PCB manufacturing is here. The products we’re being asked to build today would have been called “advanced” just a few years ago. What was once special is now standard, and what was once impossible is now expected. The challenge and the opportunity lie in leading the charge to the next frontier of printed circuit board design, materials, and manufacturing discipline. To build the board of the future, we need new materials, smarter methods, and a mindset of innovation anchored in flawless execution.