Momentum is building to reform the US military’s acquisition processes and help the US Air Force finally acquire long-term commercial satellite communication (SATCOM) capabilities.
Reform of SATCOM provision is seen as essential as the Pentagon spends approximately $600 million per year on short-term commercial SATCOM leases, usually lasting a year.
The director of military SATCOM at the Directorate, Space and Missile Systems Center – part of Air Force Space Command – outlined the way forward at this year’s MILCOM in Baltimore.
‘How can we more efficiently acquire [SATCOM capabilities]?’ asked Robert Tarleton.
Under a programme called Pathfinder Two, the service
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At SOF Week 2026, Sean O’Neill, Senior Business Development Manager with Iris Technology, discusses the growing importance of tactical power management systems for modern military operations.
At SOF Week 2026, Austin Farnham, President of Octane Wireless, discusses how direct feedback from special operations forces is helping shape the next generation of battlefield communications technology.
The Northrop Grumman Integrated Battle Command System is in service with Poland and the US Army with another 20 countries believed to have expressed an interest.
The Thales DigitalCrew package, first unveiled at last year’s Defence IQ International Armoured Vehicles conference, is designed to merge imaging and apply a layer of decision-making and observation algorithms to support crew and other personnel.
Nomad can provide militaries with real-time intelligence, saving critical time on the battlefield.
Taurus operates alongside the Israel Defense Forces’ Orion system which supports mission management across tens of thousands of manoeuvring forces, from squad leaders to battalion commanders.
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