Washington – Northrop Grumman Corp. of Falls Church, Virginia, has won a contract with the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) to test how defense contractors and commercial satellite communications providers can integrate space internet services into existing military systems. The company needed a space internet service provider to support it. They found a solution from his Viasat in Carlsbad, California.
Northrop Grumman was originally selected by AFRL for a four-year contract as part of the Defense Experimentation Using Commercial Space Internet (DEUCSI) Call 003 program, also known as “Global Lightning.”
As part of the contract with Northrop Grumman, Viasat will provide the ViaSat-3 satellite communications network, allowing military users to easily access high-bandwidth satellite Internet connectivity from existing USAF aircraft or ground vehicles.
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Under the agreement, Viasat will integrate its ViaSat-3 modem with Northrop Grumman’s open systems processor and antenna solution and conduct experiments to demonstrate its use on multiple platforms. This modem complies with open communications and IP protocol standards used by the military, including OpenAMIP, CMOSS, and SOSA. Open standards are recognized as a top priority for the Department of Defense because they enable rapid adoption of new communications technologies and allow military users to keep up with industry innovations. The ViaSat-3 modem is a low-size, weight, and power embeddable module that operates on open standards for seamless integration with multiple mission systems.
In October, Viasat announced it would expand its Ka-band constellation to include eight advanced new satellites currently under construction. These provide additional capacity focused on the busiest routes and congested hubs. Additionally, the unique ability to adjust capacity to where it’s needed ensures passengers have consistent, fast speeds no matter where they fly.
“Global Lightning is aimed at providing flexibility and agility for military users,” said Victor Farah, head of government systems at Viasat. “Our reliable satellite services, combined with our open source optimized ViaSat-3 modem, are designed to deliver innovative communications capabilities that make it easy to connect and achieve mission success. We can offer our expertise across the U.S. Air Force’s defense platforms.”
