The U.S. Army is seeking new ways to utilize near-Earth orbit and medium-Earth orbit satellite communications technology to establish a tactical satcom network, C4ISRNET reported Friday.
The Army has launched initiatives like the Expeditionary Signal Battalion-Enhanced pilot program, which involves the deployment of small to medium-sized terminals to support satellite constellations in closer orbits. Such satellites have the capacity to potentially speed up communications and improve network performance.
Rich Williams, associate vice president at LinQuest, said the smaller terminals designed for MEO and low-Earth orbit have reduced footprints and require less power due to their proximity to Earth. According to Todd Harrison, senior fellow and aerospace security project director at the Center for Strategic & International Studies, the Army also needs to address emerging threats like jamming and spoofing that can compromise the satcom network’s cybersecurity.
“They will need to work with these commercial companies to build that security into their satellites and their ground stations,†Harrison noted.
