Government/Military

[Via Satellite 06-26-2014] Northrop Grumman’s protected communications payload for the U.S. Air Force’s third Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) satellite successfully completed on orbit testing ahead of schedule. The AEHF 3 was launched Sept. 18, 2013 on board a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas 5 rocket, and reached its final position in geostationary orbit in...

[Via Satellite 06-25-2014] The Malibu, Fla. division of Communications and Power Industries (CPI) was selected by an international defense technologies company to provide airborne data links for the RQ 4 Global Hawk Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS). The company will also provide dual-axis Ku-band high-gain data links for the NATO Alliance Ground Surveillance (AGS) version of...

[Via Satellite 06-19-2014] Odebrecht Defense and Technology (ODT) and its subsidiary Mectron shipped the third Digital Data Recorder (DDR) model for the fourth China-Brazil Earth Resources Satellite (CBERS 4) to China to be integrated onto the spacecraft. The DDR is the first device of its kind to be completely developed and manufactured in Brazil, and...

[Via Satellite 06-17-2014] ViaSat successfully demonstrated in-flight network switching between a U.S. government Ka-band Wideband Global Satcom (WGS) satellite and a commercial Ka-band satellite. The U.S. Air Force proof of concept flight demonstration was held under a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center in collaboration with Air...

[Via Satellite 06-17-2014] Officials from the Chinese Academy of Space Technology (CAST) and the Brazilian Space Agency (AEB) met at the National Institute for Space Research (INPE) in São José dos Campos to outline future collaborative satellite projects. The Sino-Brazilian Commission High Level Coordination and Cooperation (Cosban) evaluated the feasibility of the China–Brazil Earth Resources Satellite...

[Via Satellite 06-17-2014] Thuraya Telecommunications, a Mobile Satellite Service (MSS) operator, launched the company’s first ruggedized satellite broadband terminal designed with U.S. military standard components, the Thuraya Internet Protocol (IP) Commander. The terminal is expected to be commercially available in the third quarter of 2014. The Thuraya IP Commander was developed in collaboration with SRT...

[Via Satellite 06-16-2014] Satcom Direct Communications (SDC), the government and military service division of Satcom Direct, was named an Inmarsat Value Added Reseller (VAR) for the company’s Global Xpress mobile broadband satellite network, and will provide Global Xpress subscription services to the aeronautical market of the U.S. government. “We see strong opportunities for Global Xpress...

[Via Satellite 06-16-2014] Globecomm was awarded an order for Wideband Global Satcom (WGS) Certified Auto Explorer Lightweight Transport (LT) terminals, at 1.2-meter X-band and 1.0-Meter Ka-band configurations. The order included the baseline terminal with three Radio Frequency (RF) kits, including Ku-band, X-band and Ka-band. This LT tri-band version allows customers to operate on commercial and...

[Via Satellite 06-13-2014] Exelis acquired Celestech, a technology and engineering firm that develops targeted technical solutions for government and commercial customers, leveraging expertise in advanced signal processing and communications systems. Upon close of the transaction, Celestech will become part of the Electronic Systems division within Exelis. “The Celestech acquisition enhances our ability to provide fighting...

[Via Satellite 06-12-2014] Gilat Satellite Networks provided its low-profile maritime terminals for use on naval vessels of an unspecified Asian country. The terminals deliver Command-and-Control communications in combat operations, and have been deployed in missile boats, fast attack craft and other vessels in both Ka-band and Ku-band variants, allowing commanders access to real-time data and...