Protected Tactical Service (PTS)

Abstract

The global threat of electronic warfare attacks against space systems will expand in the coming years in both number and types of weapons. Threat development will very likely focus on jamming capabilities against dedicated military satellite communications (SATCOM). To address this critical threat, and in pursuit of more precise solutions for disaggregated strategic and tactical SATCOM, U.S Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM) and Air Force Space Command (AFSPC) initiated the Protected Anti-jam Tactical SATCOM (PATS) family-of-systems. The PATS integrated approach includes the Protected Tactical Satellite Communications (PTS) and Protected Tactical Enterprise Service (PTES) programs to mitigate adversarial jamming effects by using the Protected Tactical Waveform (PTW). The PTS program is the disaggregated tactical communications follow-on to the Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) program. The United States Space Force (USSF) is developing the PTS system to provide tactical users increased protection with worldwide and polar, beyond-line-of-sight, Anti-Jam (AJ), low-probability-of-intercept communications in benign and highly-contested anti-access/area denial environments utilizing the PTW. The PTS system's on-board payload/signal processing, antenna design, and advanced beam-forming using a distributed, diversified, and agile constellation of hostable payloads and high capacity free-flyers enables reliable tactical SATCOM within close proximities to adversarial jammers. The system also employs interfaces consistent with USSF's on-going resilience initiatives enhancing mission assurance and interoperability. The program's modular, flexible, scalable, and protected tactical payload constellation architecture will increase resiliency through distribution across a larger number of space platforms (e.g., hostable, free-flyer, international partnerships). The PTES program (PE 1206760SF, Project 643726) establishes the ground infrastructure for PTS, which operationalizes the PTW. For the initial PTS phase, USSF is utilizing FY 2016 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), Middle Tier of Acquisition (MTA) for Rapid Prototyping (RP) authority and Section 815, Other Transaction Authority (OTA), to achieve an affordable, rapid, operational capability for the tactical warfighter. This strategy employs rapid payload development to progressively and incrementally deploy prototypes with residual capabilities demonstrated in an operational environment. These prototyping payloads (PTS-P) demonstrate innovative AJ technologies with modular and scalable payloads to meet validated military needs for protected tactical communications. This includes technical baseline development, systems engineering trade analyses, internal/external system integration and development, candidate system architecture evaluations, risk reduction demonstrations, prototyping concepts development, system testing, and enabling technologies maturation. The PTS Engineering, Manufacturing, and Development (EMD) Phase, called PTS-Resilient (PTS-R), will follow the PTS-P Phase to develop purpose-built "hub in space” satellites with full signal processing and switching capability that allows direct connectivity between users. The PTS-P and PTS-R Phases include a Space Segment, Ground Segment, and Gateway Segment. For the Space Segment, the USSF strategy utilizes a payload-centric focus to enable an affordable, resilient space architecture. This enables hosting and rideshare opportunities with other US government, commercial, International Partner (IP) satellites or integration onto a commodity satellite bus. For the Ground Segment, PTS develops satellite command and control (C2) and leverages the PTES RP activity for mission and key management planning. The PTS Gateway Segment enables tactical warfighters reach back to global DoD Information Network. The PTS user Terminal Segment, not included in this PTS acquisition, will be procured by the military services utilizing low-cost PTW modem upgrades enabled by the Air Force - Army Anti-Jam Modem (A3M) ACAT III program and the Navy Wideband Anti-Jam Modem System (WAMS) technology demonstration program. PTS also develops the National Security Agency (NSA)-certified and space-flight qualified production-ready Space Hub End Cryptographic Unit (ECU). Starting the ECU as a single, early risk reduction effort targets a high-risk area of the PTS development and enables PTS program success. In CY 2022 the Space Warfighting Analysis Center (SWAC) identified gaps in protected SATCOM capabilities relative to existing and planned capabilities against current and predicted user needs, with consideration of current and emerging challenges to both operating environments and system deployment. SWAC developed a Force Design (FD) to address these gaps, realigning capabilities and disaggregating mission sets. Protected Tactical SATCOM - Global (PTS-G) is a key and enabling capability of the USSF Force Design (FD) that bridges the gap between the more focused capabilities provided by Protected Tactical SATCOM - Resilient (PTS-R), and the broadly-available but also the lower assured access capabilities provided by existing / emerging MILSATCOM and commercial services. PTS-G also augments current and future warfighter capability with increased global capacity. PTS-G is a moderate degree of assured access communications across military Ka-band and X-band using a disaggregated and proliferated sets of lower-complexity satellites. Space Systems Command (SSC) will develop the PTS-G space and ground systems to provide worldwide assured-access communications for tactical warfighters. PTS-G will consist of two types of space vehicles (PTS-G-Ka and PTS-G-X), and ground infrastructure (system controller/hub with gateways), and will connect to existing Protected Anti-jam Tactical SATCOM (PATS) ground infrastructure (mission management system and cryptographic key management system) developed under the Protected Tactical Enterprise Service (PTES) program. PTS-G will consist of multiple satellites that can provide either X-band or mil Ka-band transponded capability while also supporting the utilization of the PTW Waveform. PTW modems for user terminals will be acquired by each Service and by international partners. Initially, PTS-G will provide capabilities in select regions. PTS-G will target a solution that can provide worldwide coverage. PTS-G will be interoperable with the PTES program to perform management and cryptographic key management for PTW users, but PTS-G will procure and install the associated PTES Joint Hubs and other ground infrastructure to operate the satellites, anchor the data, and perform O&S. In addition, the PTS-R system will be integrated with components of PTES and will be complementary to PTS-G. PTS-G addresses the gap in protected communications capability identified in the USSF FD and in the Joint Space Communications Layer (JSCL) Initial Capabilities Document (ICD). To meet the warfighter requirements for protected tactical MILSATCOM and the capability gaps identified in these studies in a timely and cost-effective manner, use and modification of existing capabilities and Commercial Off the Shelf (COTS) products will be leveraged to the maximum extent, to develop the PTS-G capabilities. SSC will strategically execute prototyping and risk reduction as needed to develop and deploy PTS-G capabilities. This program element may include necessary civilian pay expenses required to manage, execute, and deliver PTS weapon system capability. The use of such program funds would be in addition to the civilian pay expenses budgeted in program elements 1206392SF and 1206398SF. This effort is in Budget Activity 4, Advanced Component Development and Prototypes (ACD&P), because efforts are necessary to evaluate integrated technologies, representative modes or prototype systems in a high fidelity and realistic operating environment.

Document Details

• Document Type: R2 Budgetary Justification
• Publication Date: Oct 01, 2025
• Source ID: 1206761SF_4_3620F_PB_2025
• Change Summary Explanation: FY 2023: -4.780M BTR for Space C2. FY 2025: +247.413M adds PTS-G, which will deliver global X-band and Ka-band capabilities to the warfighter. FY 2025: +1.196M inflation adjustment
• Service Agency Name: Air Force

Entities

Organizations

• United States Air Force

Tags

Readers

• Aerospace Engineering.
• Tactical Satellite Communications Systems Engineering.

Technology Areas

• Fully Networked C3
• Fully Networked C3 - Command and Control
• Microelectronics
• Microelectronics - Microelectromechanical Systems
• Space
• Space - Satellites