Fourth AEHF satellite successfully launched
The US Air Force’s fourth Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) military communications satellite has been successfully launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.
The satellite, built by Lockheed Martin, will now move into a testing phase prior to hand over to the air force. With four satellites in orbit, the AEHF constellation completes a geostationary ring and will be able to deliver global coverage.
The jam-proof AEHF satellites provide secure and protected communications for strategic command and tactical warfighters operating on ground, sea and air platforms. A single AEHF satellite provides greater total capacity than the entire legacy five-satellite Milstar constellation. Individual data rates increase five-fold, permitting transmission of tactical military communications, such as real-time video, battlefield maps and targeting data.
Lockheed Martin is on contract with the air force to deliver the fifth and sixth satellites and upgrade the mission planning ground system.
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