Government/Military

ViaSat announced it has delivered an end-to-end Link 16 communications system to the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) for its Halifax-class frigates. The upgrade will enable the RCN to more effectively communicate with the United States, NATO and other allied forces through Link 16 interoperability, and will serve as a bridge to the future fleet communications....

The U.S. Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office is undergoing final launch preparations for the fifth mission of the X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle (OTV). The OTV is scheduled to launch on Sept. 7 onboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 launch vehicle. The fifth OTV mission continues to advance the X-37B’s performance and flexibility as a space technology...

Spaceflight Industries announced that the Air Force Research Lab has awarded its BlackSky division a two-year $16.4 million cost-plus-prime contract to develop and deliver a cloud-based Geospatial Intelligence (GEOINT) broker platform. The brokering platform will provide on-demand analytics, collection, and information services from global data sources. According to Spaceflight, the BlackSky geospatial solutions team will...

A new cybersecurity analysis placed the United States government at 16 out of a ranking of 18 industries, highlighting some of the most salient shortcomings of its defensive capabilities. Aging software, improper basic security hygiene and weak endpoint defense are just some of the weaknesses pointed out in the report. Read more at Wired.

Envistacom, a technology company that offers counterterrorism, cyber and communications solutions to the United States and coalition partners, has awarded UltiSat a subcontract to provide Tier 2 technical support of its teleport and Regional Hub Node (RHN) at the Enterprise Satellite Communications Gateway Facility (ESG-L) located in Landstuhl, Germany. As part of this subcontract, UltiSat...

An industry team led by Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin successfully tested a Low Cost Terminal (LCT) this month with an on-orbit Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) satellite. This milestone demonstrates the ability of an affordable tactical terminal to connect with the U.S. Department of Defense’s (DOD) protected communications network. The AEHF system, designed for...

ViaLite has announced that its Radio Frequency (RF) over fiber links are compliant with the U.S. Army MIL-STD-188-164B ARSTRAT-WGS standard. Craig Somach, director of sales for North America, confirmed the ViaLiteHD RF over fiber transmission equipment successfully completed tests carried out in conjunction with a U.S. systems integrator.  Following qualification, ViaLite’s links can be used to connect ground stations...

The total solar eclipse Monday was the first time one has occurred and was visible from the U.S. in more than 30 years. Relive the experience below with some of the best pictures captured by NASA. 1) An image captured by NASA of the moon transiting across the sun. 2) A silhouette of the International Space Station with...

DigitalGlobe has signed a Direct Access Program (DAP) contract with the Australian Department of Defense. This multi-year agreement will allow the Australian government to access DigitalGlobe’s commercial satellite imaging constellation to support defense and intelligence missions. The company expects the contract to deliver $83 million in incremental revenue over four years, beginning in January 2018....

The USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), the first in the new Ford class of nuclear-powered supercarriers commissioned July 22, is going to sea with a Globecomm-designed, multi-functional communications and entertainment system along with the first IP video system in the U.S. Navy fleet, the company announced. As a turnkey solutions provider and systems integration...