Army looks to GATR for lightweight, quick-setup inflatable SATCOM antennas

PICATINNY ARSENAL, N.J., 7 Oct. 2013. U.S. Army network-centric warfare experts needed portable, lightweight inflatable satellite communications (SATCOM) antennas for the War-fighter Information Network-Tactical (WIN-T). They found their solution from GATR Technologies in Huntsville, Ala.

Officials of the Army Contracting Command at Picatinny Arsenal, Ala., have awarded GATR a $440 million contract for different size inflatable satellite antennas. GATR inflatable SATCOM antennas are designed for ground use, particularly useful in military situations in remote areas, quick deploys, or in bad weather.

GATR inflatable SATCOM antennas are for deployments where the movement and installation of 2+ meter class standard deployable rigid satellite antennas is challenging, GATR officials say. The design combines the transmission power advantages of a large antenna with the low weight and portability of a small aperture antenna.

The GATR 2.4 meter inflatable antenna system packs in as few as two cases that weight less than 99 pounds for a single-band, versus more than eight cases for traditional rigid antennas, reducing size and weight by 50 to 80 percent over rigid satellite antennas, GATR officials say.

The GATR inflatable satellite antennas, moreover, are reliable in extreme environments, are stable in high winds, and perform well in extreme heat and cold. The antennas can be set up in 30 minutes or less.

GATR also provides a 1.2 meter backpackable antenna for high-bandwidth communications for transmission of secure and non-secure data, voice, and video, all in a compact package. all components fit in a backpack that weighs less than 50 pounds.

The Army Contracting Command awarded the contract to GATR on behalf of the Army's program executive officer for WIN-T at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md.

For more information contact GATR Technology online at www.gatr.com, or the Army PEO WIN-T office at http://peoc3t.army.mil/wint.