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Ka-band certification enables greater use of Warrior antenna terminals by the U.S. Marine Corps
Two General Dynamics SATCOM Technologies’ Warrior antenna terminals are now certified by the U.S. Army to use the Ka-band frequency to access the Wideband Global SATCOM ( WGS ) network, enabling warfighters to transmit and receive video, multimedia imagery and data faster and more securely.
Certification ensures that the General Dynamics Warrior 1.2 and 1.8 meter, Ka-band enabled terminals meet stringent performance and operational control requirements needed to operate on the WGS network. The WGS network comprises a constellation of six U.S. Department of Defense satellites that provide flexible communications connectivity for U.S. military forces.
Certification, completed by the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command/Army Forces Strategic Command ( SMDC/ARSTRAT ), enables Warrior terminals currently used by the U.S. Marine Corps as part of the Support Wide Area Network ( SWAN ) program to access the WGS network. The SWAN program provides the Marines with secure and non-secure commercial-off-the-shelf satellite communications equipment that can quickly accommodate technology insertions and upgrades like the Ka-band capability.
The higher transmit and receive operating frequencies inherent to Ka-Band allow the SWAN terminals to use smaller, lighter, and more highly integrated communications capabilities than those used at Ku-Band. In addition to a smaller footprint and reduced weight, other benefits of Ka-band over Ku-band for satellite communications include:
- Higher data-rate throughput for improved quality of video, voice and data communications
Reduced space segment cost through the use of the WGS system
Reduced communications interference issues due to dedicated WGS satellite access
“The Warrior 1.2 and 1.8 meter terminals are composed of Very Small Aperture ( VSAT ) antenna subsystems, power amplifiers, Time Division Multiple Access ( TDMA ) modems, automatic tracking control and other related electronic subsystems.
Marvin Shoemake, vice president of sales for General Dynamics SATCOM Technologies, said, “The successful completion of the SMDC/ARSTRAT testing represents a major Ka-band upgrade for the SWAN program. The certification also opens the door for other government agencies, including homeland security, to have robust, beyond-line-of-sight communications using the WGS network.”
L-3 GCS Awarded $170 Million Contract from U.S. Special Operations Command
L-3 Communications announced that its GCS subsidiary (L-3 GCS) has been awarded a contract by the U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) for its Panther(TM) Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) manpack satellite communications systems and associated equipment. The systems will be used in support of USSOCOM’s Special Operations Forces Deployable Node-Lite (SDN-Lite) program, which will provide worldwide satellite communications connectivity to Special Operations Forces field personnel. The contract is valued at up to $170 million over the next five years.
“L-3 GCS is particularly honored to have been selected by USSOCOM for this important program to augment warfighter communications,” said Bob Jacobson, president of L-3 GCS. “For the past two years, our goal has been to bring the size of a VSAT terminal down to a rucksack-sized package. We have achieved that goal, and USSOCOM has validated our vision with this award. Now, a single warfighter can have a megabit-per-second, beyond line-of-sight radio in his or her rucksack.”
L-3 GCS will begin shipping MIL-tested and certified Ku-, Ka-, and X-band manpacks, data kits and power systems to USSOCOM this calendar year, with additional units scheduled for production and delivery over the life of the contract.
Located in Victor, N.Y., L-3 GCS is a leading provider of satellite communications (SATCOM) systems that integrate data, broadband Internet, telephony, multimedia, audio, video and computer networking. These rugged, easily deployed systems are utilized by the Department of Defense and Department of Homeland Security as well as other federal agencies and various commercial sector customers. To learn more about L-3 GCS, please visit the company’s website at www.L-3com.com/gcs.
Headquartered in New York City, L-3 Communications employs approximately 67,000 people worldwide and is a prime contractor in C(3)ISR (Command, Control, Communications, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance) systems, aircraft modernization and maintenance, and government services. L-3 is also a leading provider of a broad range of electronic systems used on military and commercial platforms. The company reported 2009 sales of $15.6 billion.
Inmarsat Mobile Megabits Monster
If you want truly mobile high-speed data communications, Inmarsat is going to fulfill your wish in a big way. The company has signed a contract for a trio of three Ka-band Inmarsat-5 satellites that will deliver speeds of up to 50 megabits per second to customers. Total value of the GlobalXpress network builds over four and half years will be around $1.2 billion, including satellites and ground network infrastructure.
Operations for the Global Xpress service are expected to start in 2014 and are expected to tap into a $1.4 billion market of VSAT services. GlobalXpress expects maritime, energy, and government sectors to be anchor customers, with prospects for growth in the aeronautical sector — gotta feed all those Wi-Fi hotspots on planes. Operating in geosynchronous orbit, each satellite is expected to have a 15 year orbital life.
Under a separate arrangement, Boeing the company building the three 702HP satellites for Inmarsat’s network — will be a distribution partner for Inmarsat’s Ka-band and L-band services and has committed to capacity purchases representing more than 10 percent of Inmarsat’s target Ka-band revenues in the first five years after launch. Boeing will be distributing both L- and Ka- band Inmarsat services to “key users” within the U.S. government
GlobalXpress will supplement Inmarsat’s L-band services for mobile applications for voice and data, with data rates ranging up around 440Kbps. The company’s BGAN portable service is a favorite with the military and global news reporting crews, capable of supporting ISDN phone calls and streaming IP at rates of up to 384 Kbps.
Ka band is all the rage these days, with a number of companies planning to put up mixed Ku/Ka-band or all Ka-band birds in the next three years for high-speed broadband delivery to rural and underserved areas. ViaSat (News – Alert) subsidiary WIldBlue and Hughes Communication plan to put more dedicated Ka-band satellites into orbit next year over North America to meet increasing broadband demand in the U.S.
Internationally, Ob3 Networks will launch a constellation of 16 dedicated Ka-band satellites into medium earth orbit (MEO) to provide more affordable broadband access to developing areas, including the vast unwired regions of Africa. Ob3′s satellites have the capability to provide up to 10 Ka-beams with 1.2 Gbps per beam and the company is pitching its service hard as a solution for telecom operators, ISPs, wireless operators, and enterprises.