Phase array antenna platform community, system, and method for communicating between platforms utilizing a free space optical system

A method for communicating between platforms utilizing a Free Space Optical system, the method comprising:

• forming an airborne mesh network forming phase array antenna, wherein the airborne mesh network forming phase array antenna comprises a plurality of platforms arranged in a platform community;
• synchronizing a time measurement at each of the platforms, wherein each platform comprises an optical communication device;
• and
• wherein synchronizing the time measurement at each of the platforms comprises measuring a seed message time of arrival at each platform.

A system for communicating between platform communities utilizing a Free Space Optical system, the system comprising:

• forming an airborne mesh network forming phase array antenna, wherein the airborne mesh network forming phase array antenna comprises a plurality of platforms arranged in a platform community;
• synchronizing a time measurement at each of the platforms, wherein each platform comprises an optical communication device;
• transmitting a seed message from a source external to the platform community;
• determining, by the optical communication device at each of the platforms, a relative phase of the seed message at each platform based on a seed message arrival time at each platform;
• retransmitting the seed message by each of the platforms with the relative phase reversed;
• generating an optical signal that is in-phase with the seed message received from the source external to the platform community;
• and
• relaying the seed message from each platform to a central host platform along with a synchronized time reference using the optical communication device.