Northrop Grumman completes Hybrid SATCOM test with commercial space internet

Northrop Grumman completes Hybrid SATCOM test with commercial space internet
by Clarence Oxford
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Oct 04, 2024

Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC) has successfully carried out its first live demonstration of a hybrid satellite communications (SATCOM) system, achieving a seamless connection between Viasat and a commercial proliferated low Earth orbit (PLEO) communications provider. This test demonstrated the system's ability to provide uninterrupted communications by switching smoothly between different satellite constellations and orbital paths.

As the prime systems integrator, Northrop Grumman's hybrid SATCOM system is designed to enhance communication capabilities for pilots and operators across space, air, and ground platforms.

This solution significantly improves mission performance by making it harder for adversaries to disrupt U.S. communications across various orbits, service providers, and frequency bands.

Conducted for the Air Force Research Laboratory, the technology plays a vital role in the Defense Experimentation Using Commercial Space Internet initiative, commonly known as Global Lightning.

Steven Conn, director of advanced communications and signals intelligence at Northrop Grumman, commented: "Northrop Grumman is responding to the U.S. Air Force's need for rapid deployment of resilient communications to develop and field the technologies required by our warfighters to meet today's challenging missions. This successful test, leveraging a diverse team of commercial and defense SATCOM providers, is critical for the pace of maturity on the Global Lightning program and the ability to begin flight testing in the near future."

The hybrid SATCOM terminal from Northrop Grumman is equipped to handle nine modems, offering network routing, security, and encryption to protect mission-critical communications. In the event of network disruptions, the terminal can switch between modems to maintain secure and reliable connectivity.

The demonstration confirmed the ability to provide diverse communications by establishing a link with a commercial PLEO communications provider at Ku-band frequencies in low Earth orbit and Viasat's ViaSat-3 F1 satellite at Ka-band frequencies in geosynchronous orbit. The hybrid terminal also includes a Northrop Grumman radio paired with an antenna from GetSat.