DB - Digital Battlespace
AEHF-5 in transfer orbit
The Lockheed Martin-built Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF-5) protected communication satellite is in transfer orbit after its launch from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on 8 August.
The satellite separated from its United Launch Alliance Atlas V 551 rocket approximately 5.5 hours after its launch and transferred into the control of the US Air Force's 4th Space Operations Squadron at Schriever Air Force Base.
AEHF-5 complete a geostationary ring of five satellites delivering global coverage for survivable, highly secure and protected communications for strategic command and tactical military forces operating on ground, sea and air platforms. In addition to the US military, AEHF also serves international partners including Canada and the UK.
AEHF-5, with its advanced Extended Data Rate waveform technology, adds to the constellation's high-bandwidth network. One AEHF satellite provides greater total capacity than the entire legacy five-satellite Milstar communications constellation.
Mike Cacheiro, vice president for Protected Communications at Lockheed Martin Space, said: ‘This fifth satellite adds an additional layer of flexibility for critical strategic and tactical protected communications serving the warfighter. This added resilience to the existing constellation will help ensure warfighters can connect globally to communicate and transmit data at all times.
‘In the weeks ahead, AEHF-5 will move towards its operational orbit, deploy all of its solar arrays and antennas, and turn on its powerful communications payload for a rigorous testing phase prior to hand over to the air force.’
More from Digital Battlespace
-
Hughes and VNC team to offer extended mobile communications
Hughes Network Systems and Virtual Network Communications (VNC) have launched a new offering that will extend mobile network connectivity, using an integrated combination of VNC's ...
-
BAE receives F-35 EW upgrade contract
BAE Systems has received a Block 4 modernisation contract award from Lockheed Martin to enhance the offensive and defensive electronic warfare (EW) capabilities of the ...
-
First system-level tests of USN EASR completed
Raytheon and the US Navy have completed the first system-level tests of the SPY-6(V)2 Enterprise Air Surveillance Radar (EASR) at the Surface Combat System Center at ...
-
Northrop to provide upgrade to Dutch jammer pods
Northrop Grumman has been awarded a $7 million follow-on contract for AN/ALQ-131 (V) electronic countermeasure pod upgrades for the Royal Netherlands Air Force. The work will ...
-
FLIR awarded contract for support of LCS Sea Star Safire III
FLIR Systems has been awarded a $12.7 million fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract with a five-year ordering period for supplies, repairs and upgrades for the US Navy ...
-
BAE launches new intelligence automation centre
BAE Systems has launched a new Robotic Operations Center (ROC), which will be used to customise and deploy suites of software robots that automate high-volume, ...