Inmarsat’s SlingShot. Photo: Inmarsat

[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 L-TAC service last year, and global defense forces have begun using it to provide a low-cost Tactical Ultra-High Frequency (UHF) Satellite (TACSAT) capability.

Inmarsat’s Spectra Slingshot adapter kit, consisting of a small converter and antenna, was designed exclusively to enable defense departments and civil governments to convert existing radios to access the L-TAC network quickly. Also, Inmarsat released a VHF Simplex version of the Slingshot adapter kit to extend the L-TAC service into the new frequency band used by end-user radios. Both VHF variants and the original UHF Slingshot can be used within a single L-TAC network.

“In a disaster scenario, our new civilian L-TAC service would enable normally disparate teams such as military, police and civil agencies to work more closely together,” said Andy Start, president of Inmarsat Global Government. “While they may all be using different radio types and frequency bands, with L-TAC they can interconnect with each other without the current need for a retransmission facility.”