Patent ID: 7379673

Claim:
A system, comprising: on a flying platform: a position determiner for the flying platform that issues position signals relating to the position of the flying platform; a beam steering controller that issues beam steering signals responsive to the position signals; a millimeter-wave transmit array configured to transmit multiple millimeter-wave signals to free-space in different directions according to the beam steering signals; a millimeter-wave receive array configured to receive multiple millimeter-wave signals from free-space from different directions according to the beam steering signals; an optical aperture; optical array transmit components configured to transmit multiple optical signals through the optical aperture to free-space in different directions according to the beam steering signals; optical array receive components configured to receive multiple optical signals through the optical aperture from free-space from different directions according to the beam steering signals; a switch matrix configured to switch signals between the millimeter-wave transmit and receive arrays and the optical array transmit and receive components; and a controller that configures the switch array to selectively switch the signals between the optical array transmit and receive components and the millimeter-wave transmit and receive arrays.