Despite a reduction in US strategic commitments around the world, the commercial Satellite Communications (SATCOM) industry is confident that military demand will increase as countries seek to diversify supply and augment nationally-owned capabilities.
This March, the United States Department of Defence (DOD) commenced a study to examine how it can secure adequate SATCOM for the US armed forces in the coming years. Known as the Wideband Communications Service Analysis of Alternatives (WCS AOA) study, the effort will examine how advances in the commercial SATCOM world could be folded into the provision of satellite communications for the military, according to the DOD. Currently, the emerging core of the US DOD’s satellite communications is provided by the US and Australian DODs’ Wideband Global SATCOM (WGS) constellation which is being led by the United Launch Alliance; a consortium which comprises Boeing and Lockheed Martin as prime contractors. To date, nine WGS satellites have been launched, and these spacecraft will augment, and eventually replace, the current US DOD Defence Satellite Communications System-III (DSCS-III) constellation of 14 spacecraft. Each WGS satellite will supply 4.875 gigahertz (GHz) of instantaneous satellite bandwidth; up to ten times the bandwidth offered by the DSCS-II satellites. That said, the dependence that the US DOD has on satellite communications means that it will continue to require additional bandwidth from the private sector. In this regard, US demand is typical of a trend being witnessed across many nations around the world where sovereign SATCOM capabilities are being augmented through private sector provision.
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This story is from the October 2017 edition of Armada International.
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This story is from the October 2017 edition of Armada International.
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