[Satellite TODAY 06-13-13] Northrop Grumman recently delivered the first of approximately 20 electronics units for the fourth Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) satellite payload, allowing the integration and test phase of production to get under way.

 

     AEHF provides global, survivable, highly secure and protected communications for strategic command and tactical warfighters operating on ground, sea and air platforms. The system also serves international partners including Canada, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.

 

      Delivery of the uplink phased array high-efficiency converter (UHEC) means that testing of the uplink phased array subsystem can begin later this year. Each UHEC operates the uplink phased array antennas on each payload, said Stuart Linsky, vice president, communications programs, Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems.

 

      The UHEC delivery paved the way for payload integration and testing, which began May 1, two months earlier than baseline planning requires. All electronics units will be integrated onto AEHF 4’s payload module, which was delivered ahead of schedule last November by AEHF prime contractor Lockheed Martin Space Systems.

 

      "Delivery of the UHEC was ahead of schedule as we applied lessons learned from the early delivery of the first three AEHF payloads we built," Linsky said. "We plan to follow this first early unit delivery with more early deliveries to achieve the government’s affordability expectations."