Honeywell signs Global Xpress hardware agreement
Honeywell Aerospace will provide hardware for government and military customers of Inmarsat’s commercial global, high-speed connectivity Global Xpress services. The two companies have signed an agreement for the collaboration, announced on 28 August.
The agreement expands the existing relationship between Honeywell Aerospace and Inmarsat, and will see Honeywell exclusively develop, produce and distribute commercial hardware for GX Aviation.
Honeywell is developing new products under its JetWave product family to support Inmarsat’s government Global Xpress services. Global Xpress is the first global commercial Ka-band network and has been built specifically with government and military use in mind. It will deliver secure, end-to-end wideband connectivity for seamless airborne, naval and land operations on a global basis by the first half of 2015.
Honeywell JetWave hardware delivers high-speed data for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance platforms, giving access to high-throughput connectivity for sharing information, downloading the latest data and keeping personnel informed during critical missions.
Jack Jacobs, vice president, marketing and product management, Honeywell Aerospace, said: ‘As government missions expand around the world and the need for access to fast and dependable data grows, wideband high-throughput connectivity is necessary to keep personnel informed and ready.’
Peter Hadinger, president, Inmarsat US government business, added: ‘Building on our partnership with Honeywell for commercial GX Aviation, Inmarsat is pleased to now also be working with Honeywell on the development of airborne terminals designed specifically for government users. Honeywell’s hardware expertise in this market is a tremendous advantage to government users, providing the best possible tools for their mission readiness and execution worldwide.’
The first Inmarsat-5 Global Xpress satellite entered commercial service with US government customers within its Indian Ocean Region coverage area in July.
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