A GATR system set up at the Bay County Fire Department in Youngstown, Florida provided internet connectivity for first responders. Photo: Cubic

Cubic‘s Mission Solutions business division deployed its Ground Antenna Transmit and Receive (GATR) satcom and networking systems, as well as personnel, to support Florida’s hurricane disaster recovery efforts. Partnering with the United States Army‘s Transportable Tactical Command Communications (T2C2) project office, Cubic’s GATR satcom and networking systems have been set up in several locations throughout Panama City, Lynn Haven, and Youngstown, Florida to provide communications, networking and high-bandwidth connectivity as a no cost service to local municipalities. Due to high demand for the Inflatable Satellite Antenna (ISA) capability, the Army granted permission to deploy four of its GATR ISAs to help restore connectivity lost during Hurricane Michael.

Seven Cubic employees, traveled to Panama City to assist in recovery efforts. Upon the Cubic team’s arrival, the need for more antennas led to the partnership with the Army. This partnership enabled the deployment of multiple 1.2-meter and 2.4-meter GATR systems to restore communications for local government and first responder personnel throughout the Florida Panhandle. Locations in which GATR and T2C2 systems have been deployed include the Panama City Police Department; Roads and Bridges building of the Bay County Public Works department; Bay County Fire Department Station 11; Lynn Haven Municipal Complex; Howard Creek Volunteer Fire Department; and South Gulf County Volunteer Fire Department.

Partnering with customers from military to nongovernmental organizations and international humanitarian aid groups, GATR systems and support personnel have been deployed in response to natural disasters since Hurricane Katrina in 2005.