SpaceX could fill the U.S. military’s secure Arctic satellite communications (SATCOM) gap by this year
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) relies on a mixture of military and commercial satellites to connect its warfighters all over the world -- even in the Arctic Circle. C4ISRnet reports. Continue reading original article
The Military & Aerospace Electronics take:
Date -- While users can complain that satellite communications (SATCOM) terminals are too bulky or that they should have the roaming capability exhibited in commercial cell phone technology, the system largely works. But that’s not the case in the Arctic.
The U.S. Space Force’s primary communications satellite system, Wideband Global SATCOM, is designed to provide connectivity between 70 degrees north and 65 degrees south — basically to the edge of the polar region.
The Space Force also operates two Enhanced Polar System satellites — the Arctic complement to the Advanced Extremely High Frequency constellation. EPS satellites provide secure, anti-jamming signals, and like its counterpart, EPS is built for high-priority military communications, like that used with submarines.
Related: Air Force moves ahead with SATCOM bandwidth improvements
John Keller, chief editor
Military & Aerospace Electronics
