Protected Anti-JAM Tactical SATCOM

Abstract

Project FI8, Protected Anti-JAM Tactical SATCOM supports the Army's Network Modernization Strategy Line of Effort #1, Unified Network. FI8: Protected Anti-JAM Tactical SATCOM (Protected SATCOM) provides for a critical protected communications gap in anti-jam SATCOM capability across the Army. It provides the ability for the tactical Army to be resilient in a contested environment and protect against potentially catastrophic loss of situational awareness and command and control during critical battle movement. It will offer the Tactical Army protection against interference that is either intentional or unintentional. The effort includes development of a critical Protected Tactical Waveform (PTW) modem which will be integrated into Army tactical SATCOM terminals to provide higher throughputs, protection (anti-jam) against Electronic Warfare (EW), and resiliency in a contested environment; development of a dual small form factor modem that can run the PTW and the current Network Centric Waveform (NCW) to Army Expeditionary Signal Battalions (ESBs) and eventually Army Corps, Division, and Brigade Combat Teams; and development, testing and certification of prototype Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) protected SATCOM terminals which will augment existing AEHF terminals. The PTW efforts are linked to the Air Force and DoD's plans for PTW on Wideband Global SATCOM (WGS) and its follow-on satellite constellation. FY2020 funds will continue collaborative development, testing and certification with the US Air Force and Navy of a PTW modem and a Protected Tactical Satellite (PTS). The prototype of a protected modem and protected satellite were previously funded under the FE2 MILSATCOM Systems Engineering during the Protected Tactical Service Field Demo (PTSFD). The PTW modem and the accompanying satellite constellation continue the spiral development of critical protected communications capabilities. The funding on FI8 Protected SATCOM incorporates the Army specific requirements to be included in these efforts. FY2020 funds will start efforts to test commercial Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) protected SATCOM terminal prototypes to meet recently identified critical capability gaps for anti-jam SATCOM. The new terminal will augment the existing capability of the Secure, Mobile, Anti-Jam, Reliable, Tactical Terminal (SMART-T) AEHF terminal, with the intent to backfill decreasing SMART-T numbers due to obsolescence. This ensures the Army's ability to meet increasing EW threat requirements.

Document Details

• Document Type: Project
• Publication Date: Oct 01, 2020
• Source ID: FI8_1203142A_7_2040_PB_2020

Tags

Readers

• Enterprise Information Systems Architecture and Joint Command Capability Interoperability Support.
• Tactical Satellite Communications Systems Engineering.

Technology Areas

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