[Satellite TODAY 03-05-13] ViaSat has successfully demonstrated a high-performance Ka-band satellite communication system that delivers beyond line-of-sight broadband for rotary wing aircraft. The system provided sustained data rates of 4 Mbps from the Sikorsky H-3 helicopter to a ground station and 8 Mbps to the helicopter. 

   Using the new ViaSat VR-12 Ka antenna, isolated by a patent-pending shock and vibration isolation system that enables the antenna to maintain lock with the satellite on the ground and in-flight, the system was able to overcome the inherent high shock, vibration, and repetitive signal blockage from rotating blades.

   Flight conditions for the demonstration included severe banking and operation through several rotor orientations while running data-intensive applications. During the tests, operators were able to simultaneously run five VoIP calls, three VTCs from air to ground, and stream videos from the Internet to the aircraft. All applications ran without packet loss or video dropout.

   According to ViaSat, the system can be used on manned and unmanned rotary wing platforms regardless of the number of blades, blade size, number of rotors, or their orientation on the airframe.