Government/Military

[Via Satellite 07-10-2014] Ball Aerospace confirmed it received the Clouds and Earth’s Radiant Energy Systems (CERES) instrument built by Northrop Grumman’s Aerospace Division on June 17. CERES will be integrated into the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Joint Polar Satellite System 1 satellite later this year. Over the next 10 months, Ball Aerospace expects three...

[Via Satellite 07-09-2014] Raytheon has completed a test using its Miniaturized Airborne GPS Receiver 2000 (MAGR2K) that exceeded the technical requirements for navigation and jamming levels. The U.S. Air Force used the MAGR2K in a next-gen military code GPS signal demonstration in a jamming environment. The receiver used the Raytheon Advanced Digital Antenna Production (ADAP)...

[Via Satellite 07-09-2014] Hughes Network Systems and Tampa Microwave have agreed to embed Hughes-built HX-based modems into Tampa Microwave’s ManPack family of small tactical satellite terminals. The agreement enables both companies to reach a larger customer base through an international reseller agreement. Hughes HX technology is compliant with the Wideband Global System (WGS) and Federal...

[Via Satellite 07-09-2014] ASC Signal has added a new 2.5-meter carbon fiber antenna capable of operating in L-, X-, C-, Ku-, Ka-, Q- and V-bands. The product is Army Forces Strategic Command (ARSTRAT)-certifiable and grows the company’s carbon fiber antenna offerings, which includes 2.4-meter, 3.9-meter and 4.0-meter carbon-fiber antenna products. The new antenna was designed...

[Via Satellite 07-03-2014] Raytheon is readying for a test this month of a new protected tactical waveform for the United States government. The waveform is being developed to provide increased anti-jam satellite communications for a larger audience of military users beyond those with access to Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) satellites. “Most users are only...

[Via Satellite 07-01-2014] The United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) awarded a $32.6 million Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) to Airbus Defense and Space for L-band satellite communications (satcom). The BPA includes Inmarsat Broadband Global Area Network (BGAN), Fleetbroadband and Swiftbroadband airtime. USSOCOM is part of the Department of Defense, located at MacDill Air Force Base...

[Via Satellite 06-30-2014] Inmarsat’s first Global Xpress satellite, Inmarsat 5, achieved Commercial Service Introduction (CSI) starting with U.S. government customers in the Indian Ocean coverage area. “The unique combination of global coverage and military satellite communications (Milsatcom) interoperability makes Global Xpress an ideal complementary solution for government users,” said Peter Hadinger, president of the U.S....

[Via Satellite 06-27-2014] Boeing reached the halfway mark in delivering the current series of Global Positioning System (GPS) satellites to the U.S. Air Force, with on-orbit checkout and validation of the sixth GPS 2F satellite. The latest satellite is the fourth generation of Boeing-manufactured GPS space vehicles designed to improve GPS signal capability and performance...

[Via Satellite 06-27-2014] Inmarsat and Spectra Group U.K. launched a new low-cost Tactical (L-TAC) Very High Frequency (VHF) service for the civil government market. The service will extend Inmarsat’s range for VHF radio use by the emergency services and allow full interoperability between civilian and defense force radios during an emergency situation. Inmarsat launched its...

[Via Satellite 06-26-2014] The United States Air Force awarded a $1.86 billion fixed-price contract to Lockheed Martin to complete production of the fifth and sixth Geosynchronous Earth Orbit (GEO) satellites for the Space Based Infrared System (SBIRS). The system provides the U.S. government with continuous early warning of ballistic missile launches and other tactical intelligence...