[Satellite TODAY 05-15-13] Northrop Grumman Corporation has completed a ground demonstration of a communication system that would allow the U.S. Air Force’s B-2 stealth bomber to operate with the Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) satellite network.

 

    The end-to-end tests prove the maturity of the technologies required to begin full-scale development of a new satellite communications system.

 

    Northrop Grumman conducted the demo on April 18 at its Space Park facility in Redondo Beach. It included a prototype active electronically scanned array (AESA) antenna developed by the company, a government-furnished Navy Multi-band Terminal, and an AEHF engineering model payload.

 

    "Our tests suggest that once a B-2 is equipped with our new antenna and an extremely high frequency [EHF] radio, communication will occur accurately and securely with the AEHF satellite network during all phases of the aircraft’s mission," said Maria Tirabassi, Northrop Grumman’s product manager for B-2 EHF antenna systems. "This capability would allow it to operate more effectively in anti-access/area-denial environments."

 

   The company conducted the tests at EHF frequencies using secure transmission techniques, added Tirabassi. Her test team plans to repeat the laboratory demos in the near future using other B-2 satellite terminal candidates, including a government-furnished Family of Beyond Line-of-Sight Terminal.