Photo: Cobham

Cobham Aerospace Communications and Inmarsat launched the SB-Helo X-Stream helicopter satcom solution for Cobham Aviator SP systems. The new system aims to improve communications through rotor blades by reducing packet loss by up to 40 percent.

After extensive testing, Inmarsat and Cobham have developed a protocol in network Quality of Service (QOS) selection, as an enhancement of the Swift broadband X-Stream service; one of Inmarsat’s streaming services offering on-demand high-streaming data rates over its L-band network.This allows data from rotary wing aircraft to be transmitted to the Inmarsat satellite network, via dedicated modulation schemes.

“We are very happy to announce the availability of the SB-Helo X-Stream, an enhancement of the Inmarsat X-Stream service that meets the needs of this growing sector of the government market in an efficient and cost-effective way,” said Inmarsat President of Global Government Todd McDonell. “Having worked with Cobham in the development of this new protocol, we are very pleased with the results we have seen from the trials and foresee that this cost-effective solution will be greatly sought after in the growing government helo market.”