Raytheon's MMPU terminal receives production award
Raytheon has announced that the Minuteman Minimum Essential Emergency Communications Network Program Upgrade (MMPU) Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) terminal being developed for the US Air Force (USAF) has received a successful Milestone C decision and subsequent production award.
The MMPU terminal provides protected communications to warfighters, and is the first AEHF terminal for the USAF to enter in to the production phase. In another achievement, it became the company's third AEHF terminal to interoperate with the on-orbit AEHF satellite, joining the US Army's Secure Mobile Anti-Jam Reliable Transportable Terminal (SMART-T) and the US Navy Multiband Terminal (NMT).
The first AEHF satellite, launched in August 2010, recently began an extensive set of operational tests. In this testing, MMPU, SMART-T and NMT demonstrated interoperable communications using the AEHF satellite's eXtended Data Rate (XDR) waveform, moving data more than five times faster than previous EHF systems. MMPU adds essential nuclear command and control capabilities to the Raytheon AEHF terminal product line established by SMART-T and NMT.
Raytheon is projected to deliver 67 MMPU AEHF terminals, including spares, to the US Air Force. The MMPU AEHF systems incorporate Raytheon's XDR waveform hardware and software, including new cryptographic algorithms for protecting national command and control (NC2) networks, a complex technological breakthrough in protected communications. XDR and the cryptographic algorithms provide increased bandwidth, speed and significantly improved security within the NC2 communications architecture.
More from Digital Battlespace
-
US Space Force increases efforts to plug training capabilities gaps
The service has been seeking simulation and emulation solutions capable of reproducing multiple in-orbit threats.
-
US Space Force bets big on the use of AI to improve its capabilities
The service has been conducting several acquisition and upgrading efforts involving artificial intelligence and machine learning to improve communication, data analysis and ISR systems.
-
Thales selected for Syracuse satellite communications terminals for French vehicles
The Syracuse 4B communications satellite, developed by Airbus and Thales Alenia Space, was launched last year, bolstering secure military satellite communications for the French Armed Forces. Thales has now been selected to provide terminals for vehicles.
-
The New Battlefield: Space Defence, Emerging Threats, and Strategic Opportunities (Studio)
The growing importance of space in modern warfare, advancements in satellite technology, and increasing threats from rivals like China and Russia were among the topics of a Eurosatory 2024 panel on military space operations.
-
BAE Systems to provide radios for South Korean aircraft
AN/ARC-232A is a Starfire radio that provides VHF/UHF communications to airborne platforms and the transceiver is software-programmable, allowing for multiple waveform support as well as optional national electronic counter counter-measure (ECCM) capability.
-
Lockheed Martin to work with DARPA on AI effort
During the 18-month period of the contract, Lockheed Martin will apply Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) techniques to create surrogate models of aircraft, sensors, electronic warfare and weapons within dynamic and operationally representative environments.