U.S. Strategic Command plans to adopt a new government policy to provide U.S.’ partner nations access to a communications technology payload on Mobile User Objective System satellites, Space News reported Wednesday.Space News quoted Harold Haney, chief of Stratcom’s satellite communications and spectrum management division, as saying the MUOS constellation was originally intended for U.S.’ use only.
“We have been given direction, in April, to change that and bring international partners into operations of MUOS,” Haney told audience at the Global Milsatcom conference held Wednesday.
Stratcom is in talks with several U.S. allies regarding possible terms of their access to MUOS’ Wideband Code Division Multiple Access payload, the publication reports.
Joint Strike Fighter buyers Australia, Canada, Denmark, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, South Korea, Turkey and the U.K. could leverage WCDMA through the new policy.
Lockheed Martin designed and built MUOS under a contract with the U.S. Navy and the military service expects the satellite network to achieve full operational capability in summer 2016.
