US Special Forces Benefit from Satcom System

Jul 23, 2008 4:59 PM

ViaSat, Inc. has provided the US Special Forces with a new airborne broadband satcom system to greatly enhance its warfighting capabilities. Already in use in the Middle East, the system offers new operational capability as an extension of the firm's ArcLight(R) mobile broadband system. It is installed in C-130 aircraft, with the primary task of sending high-resolution video back to command and control centers for analysis and identification. It also provides two way broadband communications for a variety of command and control needs. The system is built around the advanced ArcLight modem and networking technology using a spread spectrum waveform to enable the use of mobile satellite antennas as small as 29 cm in diameter. Within minutes, operators can configure an aircraft for their specific mission without any permanent aircraft alterations, then quickly return the aircraft to its normal configuration when the mission is complete. The system provides raw data rates to 10 Mb/s inbound and 512 kb/s outbound while airborne.