April 2013 Edition
Advanced MILSATCOM
Dispatches
Features
Protected MILSATCOM + The Affordable Solution, By Rick Skinner, Business Development Director, Communication Systems, for Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems
Meeting the communications needs of mobile users is a high priority for the U.S. military. The types and quantity of information passing over mobile communications links has grown rapidly and will likely continue to grow. Demand will further increase as irregular warfare will often drive fighting forces to operate in smaller, more mobile groups that are more widely dispersed.
A Short Burst Data Capability, By Giles Peeters, Senior Contributing Editor + Defence Sector Director at Track24 Defence
When it comes to communications, military organizations are increasingly looking to keep it short and sweet.
High Throughput Satellites = A Bright Future For MILSATCOM, By Karl Fuchs, Vice President of Technology, iDirect Government Technologies (iGT)
The military has a voracious appetite for communications. However, shrinking Department of Defense (DoD) budgets threaten to quash the military’s development and use of next-generation communications to support the warfighter.
Strategies For Comprehensive Link Protection, By Steve Williams, Business Area Manager of Signals Instrumentation, RT Logic
Reliance on satellite communications (SATCOM) for critical communication links has never been higher, making the growing problem of link protection even more critical. Commercial satellite operators estimate that millions of dollars are lost in interference related events each year. Interference is a frequent problem in military operations, not just from unfriendly sources, but from inadvertent activities of friendly ones as well.
Techniques For Ensuring The Highest Quality Microwave Measurements, By Theng Theng Quek, Business Development Manager, Agilent Technologies
In the RF and microwave domain, high frequencies and stringent application specifications are the norm. As a result, engineers face a number of critical challenges, not the least of which are making precise measurements with accurate data and obtaining repeatable results.
SOTM—A Terminal Case, EM Solutions’ Ka-band SOTM terminal was extensively upgraded to work with Japan’s Kizuna (WINDS) Ka-band experimental satellite.
The Japanese National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT) is the recipient of two, state-of-the-art Ka-band Satellite-On-The-Move (SOTM) terminals from communications engineering company EM Solutions. This delivery represents a key milestone for the firm for a partnership project with Tokyo-based Jepico Corporation.
When Bigger Isn’t Necessarily Better, By David Leichner, Vice President, Marketing + Business Development, Gilat Satellite Networks
U.S. Defense spending dropped significantly in the last quarter of 2012. According to data compiled by Bloomberg News, military awards dropped 18 percent to $94.8 billion in the quarter ended December 31, 2012 from $115 billion in the previous quarter.
ComSats That Didn’t Quite Make The Grade..., By Jos Heyman, Senior Contributing Editor
Communications satellites provide an excellent opportunity to make money but, over the years, many ventures to establish a communications network, especially those that seek to provide novel services, suffered failure. In this article four such ventures will be discussed.
Advancing COTM Technologies To Enhance Warfighter Communications, By Rick Lober, Vice President + General Manager, Hughes Defense and Intelligence Systems Division
Military organizations around the globe need reliable, secure and cost-effective Communications-On-The-Move (COTM) solutions to keep troops connected on the ground, in the air and at sea. Satellite communications (SATCOM) is the ideal technology to provide beyond-line-of-sight (BLoS) broadband communications for the most challenging missions, including special operations, search and rescue, as well as intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR).
Executive Spotlight: Dr. John Paffett, Surrey Satellite Technology US
Dr. John Paffett is chief executive officer for Surrey Satellite Technology US (SST-US), the United States subsidiary of small satellite manufacturer Surrey Satellite Technology Limited (SSTL). SST-US was created to serve the U.S. market with rapid, cost-effective small satellite systems, applications, and services.
Commercial X-Band: The Technical + Operational Advantages, By Jim Chambers, Vice President, Engineering, XTAR LLC
Commercial X-band, a frequency reserved entirely for U.S. and Allied Governments’ use, has multiple technical advantages which make it a solid contender in any bandwidth selection process. The benefits of commercial X-band are, in many cases, the same, or better, than those being touted in the Ku- vs. Ka- debates. Hence, it is imperative that government end users and solutions providers alike do not overlook the value of commercial X-band for their bandwidth needs.
Satellite Spotlight—Understanding + Using MUOS, John D. Oetting, Project Manager + Lead Systems Engineer, MUOS Project, APL Principal Professional Staff; Tao Jen, member of APLs’ Prinicpal Professional Staff and Assistant Group Supervisor, Communications + Systems Group
The Navy has used the military UHF band (300–400 MHz) for satellite communications (SATCOM) since the launch of the first Fleet Satellite Communications (FLTSATCOM) satellite in 1978. In the past 30 years, several replacement constellations have been launched, and UHF satellites have become joint assets used by all the services; however, the communication waveforms and architectures have not changed significantly.
Understanding and Using MUOS — Lockheed Martin’s Crucial Role , MUOS was paced through a series of rigorous tests to ensure its performance and health throughout its on orbit life.
In January of this year, Lockheed Martin successfully completed the required system testing on the second satellite in the U.S. Navy’s Mobile User Objective System (MUOS), designated MUOS-2, as well as delivered the software waveform for the satellite. The new waveform will enable military satellite communications terminal providers to deploy equipment that takes full advantage of enhanced MUOS capabilities. The satellite has been placed in storage to awaits its scheduled launch date in July of 2013.
Smartphone Use For SATCOM, By Tom Cox, President, Coolfire Solutions
Satellites allow billions of people on the ground, in the air, and at sea to communicate in ways that wouldn’t be possible without this technology. We use SATCOM for international communications, video and content distribution, as well as access to areas fiber or other terrestrial communications systems cannot go—it’s amazing to think just how common SATCOM really is.
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