Viasat’s SATCOM antenna completes certification and testing

Viasat’s Ku-/Ka-band multi-network, multi-mode Global Mobile Antenna (GMA) 5560-101 has successfully completed the Federal Aviation Administration D0-160G certification process and the US Air Force (USAF) Materiel Command (AFMC) C-17 Modified Airworthiness Certification Criteria (MACC) testing, the company announced on 30 July.

By completing both the certification and test programmes, the satellite communication (SATCOM) antenna has demonstrated its capability of in-flight broadband connectivity, enabling advanced situational awareness, en-route mission planning and a range of other applications that requires the highest forward and return link capacity available.

The DO-160G certification enables Viasat’s antenna to be immediately installed on the selected USAF and foreign military sale, senior leader, VIP and other military aircraft.

Passing all AFMC C-17 MACC tests demonstrates the antenna’s ability to become fully-certified for the USAF and FMS C-17 platforms. Viasat is in the process of submitting C-17 MACC test reports for official review.

The GMA 5560-101 is a second-generation, low-risk SATCOM antenna for medium and wide-body aircraft. The GMA 5560-101 antenna delivers a flexible architecture that is frequency-and satellite-agnostic. It offers compatibility with all existing medium earth orbit and geostationary orbit commercial Ku-, Ka- and MIL-Ka band satellites.

The antenna also offers access to a hybrid adaptive network that allows users to seamlessly operate across different networks, creating an end-to-end network that provides mitigation against congestion situations, intentional and unintentional interference sources and cyber threats through implementation of layered resiliency in highly contested environments.