A successful demonstration has shown Inmarsat’s new L-TAC service operating in vehicles travelling at speeds of up to 70mph. Image credit: Inmarsat

[Satellite TODAY 07-30-13] Inmarsat has announced the successful demonstration of its L-TACTM service on-the-move in vehicles at speeds up to 70 mph. The newly launched service will provide approved government customers with a lower cost Tactical UHF Satellite (TACSAT) capability solution, which allows soldiers on foot or in vehicles to communicate on-the-move using their existing UHF tactical radios.

Inmarsat’s latest offering is the next step in the expansion of mobile Beyond-Line-of-Sight (BLOS) communications provided by the technology behind its L-band satellites. The L-band service uses smaller antennas than the UHF equivalent, making it possible to offer compact, inexpensive omni-directional antennas for mounted and dismounted use.

Inmarsat has partnered with Spectra to develop the Slingshot system, which comprises a power supply, frequency convertor and antenna. Slingshot works with existing tactical military radios and requires minimal additional training to provide BLOS communications without the need for supplementary infrastructure or additional cumbersome gear.