Image Credit: US Army

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions will develop a proof of concept system to enable satellite communication roaming capability for the U.S. government, under a $2.6 million contract. The system will increase capacity, resilience and responsiveness of the wideband satcom network and will enable users to roam, in a similar way to cellphone users, across multiple operator networks, in multiple frequency bands, using diverse waveforms and modems.

Under the terms of the award, Kratos will also demonstrate a prototype Government Network Operating Center (GNOC) function which interfaces to satcom gateways and remote terminals, provides situational awareness, and mitigates threats.

“The commercial product solution illustrates how minor modifications to existing government terminals can create the ability to seamlessly leverage multiple commercial satcom resources,” said Mike Rice, vice president of satellite ground systems at Kratos. “The U.S. government will have the capability to utilize efficiencies developed within the commercial sector to improve the responsiveness of wideband satcom, increase capacity and enhance space situational awareness, all while supporting a more resilient enterprise ground architecture.”