At this year’s GOVSATCOM conference, multi-orbit SATCOM took center stage as representatives from SES Space & Defense, Viasat, and OneWeb convened for a special session, “The New Multi-Orbit Paradigm,” to examine the logistics behind making these on-demand satellite connectivity and communications capabilities a reality.

SES Space & Defense CEO, David Fields, kicked off the discussion by highlighting the implications of the satellite industry’s shift from geosynchronous (GEO) SATCOM capabilities to non-GEO solutions. “The shift to non-GEO has really added an incredible amount of complexity to what we’ve done over the past few years,” said Fields. “Operators now must think differently about how they manage the networks, manage that complexity, and how we are going to vertically integrate.”

Fields explained that SES Space & Defense is turning its attention to leveraging its GEO and Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) constellations for other space capabilities, like hosted payloads, sensors, space relay, and other future solutions that are coming down the pike. Focusing on other applications and uses of GEO and MEO constellations will enable the company to maximize the capabilities it delivers to its customers.

“The point is how do we make sure we deliver a Service Level Agreement (SLA) to customers like the Navy who have mission critical solutions and mission critical requirements,” said Fields. “This is really driving the change in partnerships…Everyone has to be invested in the mission’s success in order for that to happen.”

According to Fields, when it comes to multi-orbit SATCOM, SES Space & Defense has been an all-orbit provider for quite some time. “We have our own GEO fleet, and we have our own MEO fleet,” said Fields. “But we also partner with all the LEO providers as well.”

Fields explained that by partnering with LEO providers, SES Space & Defense is extending enterprises out to remote locations with a staggering number of applications that are being deployed. “It’s not about one orbit, but it’s about all the orbits,” he said. “It’s about what’s the application. Sometimes LEO is going to be the best application, and sometimes it may be MEO or GEO. I don’t think it’s an ‘or’ scenario. It’s an ‘and’ scenario. So how do we tie those things together?”

Expanding on this idea of applications leveraging all-orbits when necessary, Fields stated that it’s critical for providers to put the customer’s mission first and ensure its success. “If that’s not successful, we’re not going to be successful,” he said.

Andy Lincoln, Viasat’s Chief Engineer of Global Space Networks, agreed with Fields, saying that the future of SATCOM lies in the idea of hybrid networking. “The multi-orbits are all important because they have different capabilities and limitations,” he said. “They’re like children. You have to love them all, but sometimes for different reasons.”

Being able to meet the complex satellite requirements of multi-orbit military missions is a primary goal of the DoD’s hybrid SATCOM architecture. And the DoD has made major strides in giving direction and painting a picture of what capabilities and solutions it wants from the commercial satellite industry.

“I think the biggest piece that was missing in the past – when it came to government interaction – was the lack of conveying vision,” said Fields. “What [the DoD] has done in the past few years – through the hybrid SATCOM architecture – is laying out a roadmap and vision for where we want to go. That is critical.”

In addition to the DoD’s progress in articulating its architecture vision to commercial industry, the Department has also seen constructive improvements in the procurement and acquisition arenas. “A lot of positive things have happened in the last couple of years as managed services have been procured by the government,” said Lincoln. He explained that the government has a better understanding of off-the-shelf solutions, their terms, conditions, and features – as well as their capabilities and limitations.

“They’ve learned…that you can buy it or not buy it. That’s good training for the acquisition professionals in the government,” Lincoln said.

To watch the full GOVSATCOM session, “The New Multi-Orbit Paradigm,” click the video below:

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According to Gossett, U.S. SATCOM networks are used to provide command and control, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) backhaul, beyond line-of-sight communications, and the projection of military forces on the ground. But those SATCOM capabilities are currently under threat and have become the prime target of adversarial action.

At last month’s SATELLITE 2024 conference, Gossett moderated a panel discussion with representatives from the U.S. Space Force, the U.S. Navy, Lockheed Martin, and Intelsat, examining the role multi-layer networks can and will play in establishing resilient and reliable SATCOM services that can withstand adversarial attacks.

Gossett explained that the MILSATCOM community and the commercial industry are currently working together to develop multi-orbit and multi-demand solutions that will enable resiliency. “We’ve got the demand side, with the military needing a resilient set of solutions to ensure SATCOM survives deep into the fight,” said Gossett. “On the supply side, we’ve had GEO high-throughput for quite a while. And in the last decade we’ve had MEO high-throughput with SES’ O3b mPOWER, and now we have the rise of LEO.”

Though the demand and supply sides are clearly defined, according to Gossett the challenge now lies in how to stitch these solutions and capabilities together.

Lockheed Martin’s Portfolio Director of Transport Layer Programs, Adrián Cuadra, agreed that integration solutions, capabilities, and networks are key to achieving the resiliency that multi-layer networks can provide to the military. “We cannot rely on having a single network, single capability, or a single layer that performs the mission for us,” said Cuadra. “The multi-layer network and the multi-layer transport…is an interwoven set of network elements that work together.”

Cuadra went on to say that reaching resilient SATCOM will rely on orbital and path diversity that can synthesize data across the tapestry of networks to provide a common operating picture to decision-makers. “Ultimately, [the goal is] to deliver that assured information to the warfighter, wherever and whenever they need it,” he said.

If the commercial industry’s role is to provide the tapestry of networks and systems, what role does the government and the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) play in making these SATCOM resiliency capabilities a reality? According to Clare Hopper, Chief of the Space Force’s Commercial Satellite Communications Office (CSCO), the answer lies in the way the DoD is now facilitating its COMSATCOM contracts to match the pace of industrial innovation.

“[CSCO] is the hub for all things commercial SATCOM,” said Hopper. “As the industry is evolving, we are staying pace by setting up contracts that have the flexibility and scope to facilitate readiness and responsiveness across the globe.”

Hopper explained that the changes the DoD has made with its contracts have opened doors to fully realizing a multi-layer network that fosters resilient and reliable SATCOM. “We’ve made a lot of positive improvement by putting in place more open-ended, flexible contracts that our customers are taking advantage of,” said Hopper. “What comes to mind is our Proliferated Low Earth Orbit (PLEO) contract that was awarded back in July…Our existing PLEO contract enables multi-orbit solutions.”

And indeed, partnerships between the DoD and commercial industry – like the indefinite delivery indefinite quantity (IDIQ) PLEO contract that Hopper cited – have not only strengthened the SATCOM capabilities that are being delivered to the DoD’s disparate commands and services, but they are also opening the door to a more integrated, resilient space architecture for the Joint Forces.

Through the PLEO contract, satellite operators like SES Space & Defense, as well as satellite integrators, are able to usher the DoD into a new age of SATCOM, where DoD decision-makers can leverage new orbits, frequency bands, and waveforms to ensure the redundancy of mission-critical communications and connectivity resources.

As the space domain becomes further contested, with adversaries demonstrating abilities to disrupt, deny, and degrade U.S. comms networks, the DoD must continue to embrace multi-layer and multi-orbit SATCOM through flexible contracts like the IDIQ PLEO award. By doing so, the DoD and its satellite networks will automatically elevate their levels of resiliency and redundancy, and will be able to execute missions and operations uninterrupted by adversarial attack.

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Gen. Allvin’s sentiment was an eloquent way to say that the U.S. military will need to work as a single unit and not disparate services – and will need to work hand-in-hand with coalition and industry partners – if it’s going to be victorious in the battles of the future.

This is not the first time we’ve heard a senior leader from one of America’s military branches discuss the need for collaboration to ensure success against the near-peer adversaries of tomorrow. This has been one of the fundamental cornerstones of the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) as it builds its future force for the year 2030 and beyond.

However, collaboration, integration, and interoperability in one domain, in particular, have long been a challenge for the military. In space, where allied and industry partners each bring their own constellations of spacecraft and ground networks, getting everything to work together remains a challenge. And that challenge only grows more significant as the space domain continues to evolve from a benign domain into a warfighting domain.

To learn more about the need for interoperable space and ground networks as joint multi-domain operations become essential, we recently sat down with Ram Rao, the Director of Business Development Engineering, Technologies, and Solutions at SES Space & Defense. During our discussion, we asked Ram about the challenges that an austere space domain creates for the DoD, the technological challenges that the military faces when trying to integrate satellite networks with coalition and industry partners, and what some industry leaders are doing to make the seamless management of unified global networks a possibility for our military.

Government Satellite Report (GSR): It’s apparent that the battles of tomorrow will cross domains – requiring capabilities to be delivered from the space and cyber domains to joint warfighters from the U.S. and its allies on land, in the air, and at sea. How do military networks become more complex and complicated when the space domain and space capabilities are added to the equation?

Ram Rao: Correct. The U.S. DoD’s JADC2 framework is all about our warfighters and decision-makers from every service area – such as the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, National Guard, and now the Space Force – participating in and sharing quality data to make effective and timely decisions before our adversaries can act. Of course, this seems easy at a high level, but it’s very complicated to implement, albeit required.

It is not a secret anymore that our adversaries – especially China and Russia – have been advancing and testing their space and cyber war capabilities in the last few years. In fact, they’ve been developing and testing these capabilities aggressively in the space domain over the past year.

We have read about anti-satellite (ASAT) tests conducted by Russia and China that resulted in the destruction of satellites in orbit. We also have witnessed China grabbing its satellite from the GEO orbit and maneuvering into a graveyard orbit. It is obvious they are preparing and testing various capabilities that can enable them to deny our nation’s access to satellite connectivity. Capabilities like these have turned space from a benign environment into a warfighting domain.

Warfighting in domains such as land, water, and air has existed for a long time. There have been hundreds or thousands of strategies and tactics developed in these domains that have evolved. The space domain is a new warfighting domain, and defensive and offensive capabilities are still being developed and tested.

“…the interaction between different networks is not as integrated, automated, or seamless. It’s often done through the direct interfacing of circuits with VPN or HTTPS connections. Or lower-tech, less efficient methods are utilized – such as email, DVD, or paper.” – Ram Rao

Also, in space, there are no area limits or rules. The traditional warfighting domains have rules of engagement and occur in space-restricted arenas. Space is huge, there are no established rules of engagement, and the capabilities are still evolving. This makes the space domain much more complicated.

GSR: What impact does the introduction of commercial satellite services have on the resiliency and assuredness of space capabilities?

Ram Rao: The DoD figured out long ago that the commercial industry and the integration of COMSATCOM services into their MILSATCOM solutions is crucial for mission-critical capabilities. I believe that integrating LEO, MEO, and GEO capabilities from the U.S. military, allied militaries, and commercial partners is a massive deterrent to our adversaries.

These capabilities tremendously increase our resiliency in space and on the ground, making it difficult for adversaries to deny our satellite capabilities. The high speed, high bandwidth, low latency, and pole-to-pole coverage that COMSATCOM can provide is unparalleled and well-positioned for integration with MILSATCOM.

GSR: What challenges does the added complexity of integrating multiple satellite resources and services create from a network transparency, assurance, and management standpoint?

Ram Rao: There are multiple challenges. But the government and its industry partners are well aware of these challenges and are working collaboratively to solve them.

When we say COMSATCOM and MILSATCOM, we’re not just referring to two disparate networks. We are talking about hundreds, if not thousands, of disparate networks that need to be integrated worldwide.

“The DoD figured out long ago that the commercial industry and the integration of COMSATCOM services into their MILSATCOM solutions is crucial for mission-critical capabilities. I believe that integrating LEO, MEO, and GEO capabilities from the U.S. military, allied militaries, and commercial partners is a massive deterrent to our adversaries.” – Ram Rao

Network transparency, assurance, and management require agreed-up visibility and a standardized network interface. For example, the U.S. Space Force Enterprise Management & Control (EM&C) system requires network management systems from different DoD and commercial networks to be integrated at different levels.

That is a challenging task. Every participating COMSATCOM network may not follow the same standards. Also, when we start integrating the satellite capabilities of allied and coalition nations, we have to expect that different countries may follow different standards.

Assurance requirements for all countries are not the same. It’s difficult to ensure that various networks align on multiple requirements, including access levels. However, leading COMSATCOM industry players like SES Space & Defense have the infrastructure, capability, and experience necessary to integrate and operate as a part of a global military network.

GSR: How is the visualization and management of the whole military network – including military and commercial space assets and capabilities – done today? What tools exist that enable the military to see and manage everything?

Ram Rao: Most individual networks with their network management systems (NMS) have required visualization and management capabilities. However, the interaction between different networks is not as integrated, automated, or seamless. It’s often done through the direct interfacing of circuits with VPN or HTTPS connections. Or lower-tech, less efficient methods are utilized – such as email, DVD, or paper.

“The U.S. DoD’s JADC2 framework is all about our warfighters and decision-makers from every service area…participating in and sharing quality data to make effective and timely decisions before our adversaries can act. Of course, this seems easy at a high level, but it’s very complicated to implement, albeit required.” – Ram Rao

Not only is this laborious, but it doesn’t move at the pace of battle. Speed of delivery – especially during warfighting times – is a top priority for every military decision-maker.

A number of tools and platforms are being developed and introduced across the industry that provides a unified view of the network. Solutions such as the Information & Communications Technology (ICT) Portal, recently introduced by SES Space & Defense provides transparent and consolidated network visibility improving performance and operational decision-making.

To learn more about the SES S&D ICT Portal, click HERE.

Featured image: U.S. Soldiers from the 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment, set up a Satellite Transportable Terminal (STT) system at Orzysz, Poland. The STT is an optimized, over-the-horizon communications system ideally suited for tactical communications missions. (U.S. Army photos by Charles Rosemond, Training Support Team Orzysz)

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So far, Space Force has stood up its headquarters, become the 18^th member of the Intelligence Community, established three field commands, and has brought on more than 13,000 personnel. These achievements are only a few of the bullet points on the long list of Space Force wins since its inception in late-2019.

One person who has stood witness to all of the branch’s successes, setbacks, and growing pains – since the very beginning – is U.S. Space Force’s Chief of Space Operations, Gen. John W. “Jay” Raymond. Earlier this month, Gen. Raymond joined the Mitchell Institute’s Spacepower Advantage Center of Excellence for a special Schriever Spacepower Forum moderated by Gen. (Ret.) Kevin P. Chilton. During their discussion, Gen. Raymond reflected on the Space Force’s journey thus far and discussed the service’s year-three priorities, which will include a heavy focus on building and implementing a resilient space architecture.

Two years down

Gen. Raymond opened the forum by expressing that – to him – the first two years of Space Force operations have flown by. From major organizational milestones to force design deployments, he is extremely proud of all the branch has accomplished in just two years.

“If you look at the body of work that has been done, it’s pretty incredible,” said Gen. Raymond. “I would have flunked the test if you had told me at the two-year mark we’d have gotten all of this done.”

Notable achievements that he highlighted included the design and operation of Space Force headquarters, as well as standing up the branch’s field commands—Space Operations Command, Space Systems Command, and the Space Training and Readiness Command (STARCOM).

Developing a new capability program was also a priority during Space Force’s first two years. “One of the big discussion points, when we were looking to establish a separate service, was how do you build capability at speed,” explained Gen. Raymond. “How do you get warfighting capabilities in the hands of our operators at tactically relevant timelines?”

“One thing is for certain, if the resilient satellite architecture that Gen. Raymond envisions is to be a reality, the Space Force…is going to need to embrace a network that combines both MILSATCOM and COMSATCOM resources.”

During the past two years, Gen. Raymond learned that the acquisition component of providing warfighting capabilities is just a part of a much bigger process. He explained that in order to effectively and efficiently provide capabilities at speed, the approach must include force design, requirements, acquisition, and testing.

On the force design, requirements, and acquisition fronts, Gen. Raymond expressed that he feels very comfortable with where the Space Force currently stands. He did admit that Space Force’s testing program was not robust – initially – but he happily shared that the service now has a testing program that will fully mature in 2022. “So on the capability development front, I couldn’t be more thrilled with where we are,” said Gen. Raymond.

Gen. Raymond also gave an update on the growth of Space Force’s international partnerships. He shared that he is extremely pleased with how the branch has largely transformed its partnerships from being one-way data sharing to being two-way, operationally-focused data sharing.

He went on to say that Space Force and U.S. allies are now exercising and wargaming together, as well as collaborating to develop tactics, techniques, and procedures that link their operational centers together. Through these partnerships, the service is now in a position to develop new capabilities that will be provided to the warfighter. “I really believe we have an opportunity to bring our international partners and commercial industry more into the fold…going forward,” said Gen. Raymond.

One of the more intriguing updates that Gen. Raymond shared concerned the first budget that the Space Force drafted and submitted on its own. “I think once that budget is released, you’ll see a very bold budget as it relates to space and being able to shift to a more resilient architecture.”

Resiliency a top priority

As for what’s in store for Space Force’s third year of operation, Gen. Raymond believes that, “year three is going to be even more consequential than year two.” One reason why he thinks 2022 will be pivotal is due to the fact that Space Force plans to fully migrate to a resilient space architecture this year.

“We have got to shift the space architecture from a handful of exquisite capabilities that are very hard to defend to a more robust, more resilient architecture by design,” said Gen. Raymond. And according to the General, resiliency is the key factor to deterring U.S. adversaries from denying Space Force capabilities and benefits.

“People ask me all the time about deterrence,” said Gen. Raymond. “We very firmly believe that space can amplify those deterrence messages.” He explained that ensuring the resiliency and readiness of U.S. assets in space would make it extremely difficult for an adversary to deny Space Force’s access to its capabilities and advantages.

“But it’s not just about innovation. Integrating COMSATCOM services into an integrated MILSATCOM and COMSATCOM satellite architecture will have the added bonus of baking resiliency into the military’s networks.”

“We will begin our pivot significantly to a resilient architecture this next year,” said Gen. Raymond. “I will tell you, our first priority is a resilient priority. That’s been the majority of our focus for this year.”

One thing is for certain, if the resilient satellite architecture that Gen. Raymond envisions is to be a reality, the Space Force – and broader Department of Defense (DoD) – is going to need to embrace a network that combines both MILSATCOM and COMSATCOM resources.

An integrated architecture is the key to resiliency

It’s understandable why the military is so laser-focused on resiliency for their networks and satellite communications. Satellite has long been a tactical advantage that our military has over our adversaries, and that tactical advantage only grows as satellite – and the technology it enables – becomes increasingly mission-critical at the tip of the spear.

For years, the DoD’s trusted industry partners in the space and satellite sector have been pushing for the military to move away from purchasing, launching, and managing purpose-built military communications satellites. They’ve been, instead, encouraging the military to leverage commercial capacity to meet its communications requirements – and with good reason.

The commercial space and satellite industries are the innovation leaders in that domain. By embracing commercial satellite capacity for its mission-critical communications requirements, the military is gaining access to the innovative and cutting-edge technologies in which the commercial satellite industry has been investing heavily over the past few decades.

“We will begin our pivot significantly to a resilient architecture this next year. I will tell you, our first priority is a resilient priority. That’s been the majority of our focus for this year.” – Gen. Raymond

But it’s not just about innovation. Integrating COMSATCOM services into an integrated MILSATCOM and COMSATCOM satellite architecture will have the added bonus of baking resiliency into the military’s networks.

There are more than 150 commercial satellites orbiting the Earth in MEO and GEO. By utilizing commercial partners to meet communications requirements, the military can both bake redundancy into their satellite networks, and make it more difficult for adversaries to target satellites for jamming and kinetic attacks.

In a recent interview with the Government Satellite Report, Hughes Defense’s Rick Lober emphasized how commercial satellite capabilities can be game-changers for ensuring resilient military communications and mission assurance.

“Only by being able to switch seamlessly from satellite to satellite can the user be assured of uninterrupted communications,” said Lober. “Being able to switch between satellites in different orbit planes provides greater network resiliency and gives commanders more options to enhance their APACE communications. Having a diversity of satellites allows for optimizing the best solution set while making the network more robust.”

Amit Katti, Principal Engineer at SES Space and Defense, echoed Lober’s sentiment in a recent interview about SES Space and Defense’s new Common Operational Picture platform, Hydra. “If an adversary denies a satellite – either disables it with a kinetic attack or jams its signal – having the ability to manage and control the network to send traffic around that satellite – either to other available military satellites or commercial satellites – could be the difference between having comms and not having comms.”

Click the video below to watch the Schriever Spacepower Forum in its entirety.

Featured image: A Falcon 9 rocket carrying a GPS III-5 satellite into orbit launches from LC-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Fla., June 17, 2021. (Photo by: Airman 1st Class Samuel Becker)

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As Vice Chief of Space Operations, General Thompson is responsible for assisting the Chief of Space Operations, and organizing, training, and equipping space forces in the U.S. and overseas – integrating space policy guidance and coordinating space-related activities. He is a career space officer with assignments in operations, acquisition, research and development, and command.

Thompson opened the forum by expressing his excitement over the recent confirmations of U.S. Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall and Under Secretary Gina Ortiz Jones. According to Thompson, both Secretary Kendall and Under Secretary Jones have hit the ground running and are quickly facilitating the next phase of Space Force. “We’re excited they’re here and that civilian leadership is in place,” expressed Thompson.

Thompson then gave an update on where Space Force currently stands. He explained that year one of Space Force was focused on inventing the force, designing it, and getting it in place. Though there will be several more years of fully building out the force, Thompson proudly announced that the design and resourcing phase of establishing Space Force is complete.

Year two’s primary focus has been on the integration of the force. “We’ve taken some pretty aggressive and significant steps thus far,” said Thompson. He explained that “integration” includes integration of the force with the services, the combatant commands, and with partners and allies.

“They’re trailblazing the path for large-scale interservice transfer from those services into the Space Force. They’ve already begun that activity. And even as we speak, we are selecting up to about 350 others from that group, who will follow behind them once they trailblaze the path to that inter-service transfer.” – General David “DT” Thompson

The first step of the force’s integration is interservice transfer. The Space Force began with a large transfer of individuals from the U.S. Air Force, resulting in about 5,800 individuals in uniforms. In addition to bringing in candidates from the Air Force Academy, Space Force is also looking to bring in 50 interservice transfers from the U.S. Army, Marine Corps, and the Navy.

“They’re kind of our beta test,” said Thompson. “They’re trailblazing the path for large-scale interservice transfer from those services into the Space Force. They’ve already begun that activity. And even as we speak, we are selecting up to about 350 others from that group, who will follow behind them once they trailblaze the path to that inter-service transfer.”

In addition to manpower transfers, Thompson stated that Space Force is currently finalizing transfers of satellite communications, missions, and functions from the Army and the Navy.

Another recent and important milestone that Thompson highlighted was U.S. Space Force and U.S. Space Command sending elements to the United States Pacific Command’s (USPACOM) Pacific Sentry exercise. This step was key to understanding how the U.S. Space Force as a service, and U.S. Space Command as a combatant command, integrate, provide capabilities, and contribute to combatant commander operations and objectives. Both Space Force and Space Command sent one-star officers to the exercise to lead teams. According to Thompson, “I think it was incredibly productive, not just for our two organizations, but helping to inform the other combatant commands how we should proceed.”

Thompson also explained that Space Force is already deep into mil-to-mil connections with a host of countries. “They’ve reached out to us to look at how we develop and expand relationships, and how we better do in space, what the nation – and our allies and partners – have known how to do for decades in the air, on land, and at sea,” said Thompson.

Thompson further explained that these countries are not just “our tried-and-true and well-understood partners.” Space Force has had countries from South America and others in the Indo-Pacific who are interested in establishing some sort of a mil-to-mil relationship as it pertains to security in space.

To preface his update on Space Force’s proposed 2022 budget, Thompson explained that the main catalysts that drove the force’s creation were “the threats that we face, the fact that we now have to defend and protect those capabilities we provide, and to look at how we deny those capabilities to others.” He went on to say that Space Force brings “coherence, consistency, and unity to those activities inside of the Department of Defense.”

“In addition to protecting what we have today, we’re going to pivot toward architectures in the future that are designed to be resilient, robust, and deliver capabilities under attack.” – General David “DT” Thompson

Thompson then detailed Space Force’s priorities for the 2022 budget. He explained that the force is still working with Congress on final implementation. “Our priorities for that budget were to ensure that we can continue to provide the capabilities we already have,” said Thompson. “That includes everything from GPS to missile warning to satellite communications to supporting the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) and others with intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) in space. We’re really focusing on defending and protecting those capabilities so that they can continue to provide what they need under attack.”

He then discussed how Space Force is pivoting toward designs, systems, architectures, and forces that are designed to operate under threat. Thompson explained, “In addition to protecting what we have today, we’re going to pivot toward architectures in the future that are designed to be resilient, robust, and deliver capabilities under attack.”

Thompson said that Space Force must look at a host of ways to deny adverse use of space capabilities. He used the Indo-Pacific region as a prime example. “Left to its own devices, our forces in that part of the world – maritime, air, land, and others – will be under constant surveillance and monitoring by China over its space constellation,” said Thompson. “That poses a great threat to our joint forces and to our potential operations. We have to have a means by which to address them.”

According to Thompson, up until now, Space Force’s test and evaluation enterprise was focused on ensuring that its satellites operated effectively in the space domain. He explained that there now must be a shift to create a test and evaluation enterprise that tests and confirms that these capabilities operate under attack – similar to combat aircraft, combat action groups at sea, etc.

“We now have to build the enterprise that does that,” said Thompson. “We have to have more effective and detailed management of an entire suite of space professionals…we need all those enablers that need to support what is truly a military service, and more importantly, military forces in the domain.”

Featured image: Air Force Staff Sgt. Jamie Franco recites the oath of enlistment during a change of service ceremony at Osan Air Base, South Korea. Jamie and her husband, Frank, both made the jump from the Air Force to the Space Force. (Photo courtesy of Air Force Staff Sgt. Betty Chevalier.)

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And, for the most part, Americans did their part. But they did gripe about it.

In some cases, they coped by watching too much TV. Some got through by eating their feelings. And – in some rare cases –people used the pandemic and associated lockdowns for self-improvement. But, unlike the men and women of America’s military, they had choices as to how they spent their time during the pandemic.

The Navy personnel that were unfortunate enough to be deployed aboard ships at sea when the pandemic became a problem were trapped on board those ships. Other warfighters were forced to shelter in place where they were deployed. All of them were far from their friends and families, and without the comforts available to them back at home.

The fact is, the normal, day-to-day conveniences that the average American has access to – even at the height of a pandemic – are unavailable to the American warfighter and sailor stationed far away from home, or on a ship at sea. And the stark differences between life at home and life while deployed are only magnified in situations like the COVID-19 pandemic – when timelines and deployments are extended by unforeseen circumstances.

For example, think about interacting with loved ones and close family members. Many Americans became frustrated during the pandemic because they couldn’t see their parents, grandparents, friends, and other loved ones in person. But they could Facetime them or chat with them via any number of video conferencing applications so that – even if they couldn’t be with them – they could see and talk to them face-to-face.

“…the stark differences between life at home and life while deployed are only magnified in situations like the COVID-19 pandemic – when timelines and deployments are extended by unforeseen circumstances.”

But that wasn’t a possibility for warfighters. Military personnel, including Navy sailors, had to miss birthdays, holidays, and other special occasions during the pandemic. They couldn’t even have face-to-face interactions with loved ones because the most basic of video conferencing services are unavailable to them due to a lack of connectivity.

This same lack of face-to-face communication kept warfighters and sailors from benefitting from other services and solutions that average Americans had at their disposal during the pandemic.

Telemedicine consultations with mental health professionals and other specialists that are a possibility for Americans are not available for deployed warfighters with no connectivity. The same can be said about online and distance learning solutions. The basic ability to log on to online classes and training opportunities that is available to many children and working professionals across America is simply not available for warfighters.

Finally, think about entertainment during quarantine, lockdowns, and stay-at-home orders. The average American has weeks or months-worth of binge-worthy content available to them from multiple streaming companies. And while they were watching Tiger King, The Queen’s Gambit or Wandavision to pass the time, Navy sailors were stuck onboard ships that didn’t have the connectivity or capability to stream content.

And that’s just scratching the surface of what these brave men and women have to live without. Simple, ordinary services and online conveniences – online banking, social networking, and other online services –aren’t available to them. There are things that the ordinary American takes for granted as “just a part of modern life.” But those same things would be extravagant luxuries for the average warfighter deployed to a distant location or onboard a ship at sea.

And that disparity is a problem that the military cannot afford right now.

Why connectivity matters
Readiness is a buzzword that gets thrown around a lot by Congress and military decision-makers. We want armed forces with high readiness – prepared to fight multiple enemies on multiple fronts at any given time, should the need arise.

But to have readiness, we need to have soldiers. And we can’t recruit and retain warfighters if a pandemic is going to force them to live inside a time capsule – a ship at sea with no modern technologies, services, or capabilities – for more than a year at a time. What young person would actively sign up for that?

We also can’t have readiness with a military that is demoralized and suffering from depression or other mental health challenges as a result of increased stress and being isolated away from their loved ones back at home.

Military suicides rose 20 percent last year. And while we have no surefire evidence that this is a direct result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the timing makes it seem like more than a coincidence to some military decision-makers.

“COVID adds stress,” Air Force Chief of Staff, Gen. Charles Brown, recently shared in public remarks. “From a suicide perspective, we are on a path to be as bad as last year. And that’s not just an Air Force problem, this is a national problem because COVID adds some additional stressors – a fear of the unknown for certain folks.”

For America to have a battle-ready military, we need to solve this problem – and we need warfighters that are both physically fit, and mentally fit. We’re not going to have that when soldiers are deployed, put under incredible stress, and then cut off from their support systems by distance and an inability to use basic, widely available technologies.

Connectivity is no longer “nice to have” for our Navy and the larger military community. It’s essential. It’s needed if warfighters are going to have a decent quality of life, high morale, and mental wellbeing. And giving warfighters all of those things is the only way we’re going to have a battle-ready military.

So, what can we do to fix this?
Recently, Congress has inquired about best practices for bringing basic connectivity – the kind of connectivity that virtually every American enjoys at home – to the warfighter. The assumption is that – should they identify a good solution for delivering this connectivity to the warfighter – they’re going to work to fund it.

“From a suicide perspective, we are on a path to be as bad as last year. And that’s not just an Air Force problem, this is a national problem because COVID adds some additional stressors…” – Air Force Chief of Staff, Gen. Charles Brown

Commercial satellite is the clear path forward for delivering connectivity to these warfighters even if they’re deployed to places that the military would consider Disconnected, Intermittent, Limited bandwidth (DIL) environments. In fact, with the emergence of the next generation of commercial satellites called High-Throughput Satellites (HTS), and their placement in orbits closer to Earth, commercial satellite providers are capable of delivering fiber-like connectivity to practically anyplace on the planet.

Other advancements in satellite hardware and terminals have led to the introduction of new, mobile solutions that can be easily transported to and implemented in remote locations and on ships at sea. These new solutions are self-contained, weatherproof, and house all necessary electronic equipment needed to enable satellite connectivity. They were specifically designed to deliver an extremely simplified, unobtrusive installation that can be easily cross-decked from vessel-to-vessel or transported from vessel to shore.

These satellite advancements mean that we can give Navy sailors aboard ships-at-sea, and warfighters deployed to the most remote places on the planet the same connectivity they could get from the comfort of their own homes. And we can do it quickly, and easily.

All that we need to make this happen right away is for Congress and the military to signal that it’s a priority and deliver the funding needed to make it a reality. But with morale, welfare, and military readiness on the line – can they really afford not to?

For additional information on how today’s advanced COMSATCOM services can meet the military’s requirements in DIL environments, click HERE to download a copy of, “High Throughput on the High Seas.”

Featured image courtesy of U.S. Navy Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Christina Ross.

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On Friday, the DoD announced that it had awarded SES Space and Defense a task order against its existing, single-award Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) for the purchase of the company’s new, portable maritime solution. This integrated, self-contained hardware solution will enable the DoD to easily and seamlessly deliver high-throughput, low-latency connectivity to ships at sea, docks, and forward operating bases via the SES O3b MEO satellite constellation.

The integrated nature of this new hardware solution makes it easy to airlift, forklift, or tow to where connectivity is needed, and requires nothing but a power source to deliver a veritable bubble of 5G or Wifi connectivity to network-enabled solutions, platforms, and vehicles at the tactical edge. According to SES, this new solution features a, “…self-contained ruggedized design [that] houses all equipment in a rack system with AC unit, power distribution, and a battery backup system and can achieve upwards of 400 Mbps x 200 Mbps of throughput over the O3b network.”

As Brigadier General Pete Hoene, USAF (retired), the President and CEO of SES Space and Defense, explained, “The need to provide resilient and diverse satellite communications is critical to meeting Department of Defense SATCOM requirements. This…turnkey MEO terminal…can be scaled up or down based on the number of users and support requirements. The demonstrated throughput is unsurpassed in a portable maritime system of this size.”

The DoD use cases for this new mobile solution are almost too-numerable to count – from enabling morale, welfare and recreation (MWR) capabilities aboard ships at sea, to the establishment of fully-connected, IT-enabled field hospitals with telemedicine capability in warzones. But the task order for this new mobile solution was just one of the major satellite announcements coming out of the DoD and SES this past week with the potential to deliver a more connected warfighter.

On Monday of this week, SES announced that it was working in partnership with a “key U.S. Government customer” to design, develop and field a loopback capability that would, “…provide greatly improved mission-critical communications for DoD operations in remote locations in Southwest Asia.”

Acquired via yet another task order issued against the existing, single-award BPA with the DoD, the implementation of this loopback configuration enables the DoD to utilize SES O3b MEO high-throughput, low-latency connectivity without the use of a commercial gateway. This is accomplished by leveraging, “…an in-theatre hub that provides in-beam connectivity, similar to a hub-spoke configuration, and is managed and controlled from an SES Network Operations Centre (NOC) via a Skala Network terminal.”

The adoption of this loopback configuration and the continued use of the SES O3b MEO satellite service will act as a bridge to enable warfighters that are off-grid and operating at the tip of the spear in Southwest Asia to still access important communications, intelligence information, and network-enabled platforms and applications.

“The growing threat within the region requires the troops to have access to near real-time decision-making intelligence at the tactical edge. This mission requires high-throughput, low-latency connectivity that only our O3b MEO constellation can provide flexibly,” explained Hoene. ” We understand these troops’ mission requirements in areas where there is no reliable terrestrial connectivity, and we’re excited to bring innovative and secure solutions via satellite to solve their problems.”

The need for connectivity at the edge is only increasing as the military embraces advanced network-enabled vehicles, systems, platforms, and weapons systems. These new DoD announcements not only illustrate how essential the military views network connectivity for its future mission and operations, but also illustrate the continued importance and reliance on satellite services and offerings to meet those connectivity requirements.

For additional information on the new, portable maritime solution being embraced by the DoD, click HERE. For additional information on the recently announced loopback configuration, click HERE.

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Ultimately, as climate change continues to melt polar ice, we’re beginning to see the Arctic as a potential pathway for international trade and other economic interests. But the Arctic is far from benign, uncontested territory. On the other side of the Arctic Ocean lies two of America’s largest adversaries – each of which is investing to strengthen their position in the region.

This is why Air Force Gen. Terrence O’Shaughnessy, who leads U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) and North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), called the area the nation’s “first line of defense” at last year’s Sea Air Space Conference.

Unfortunately, there is significant investment that needs to be made to prepare our military to defend our strategic interests in this area. We need new ships and ice breakers. We need to retrain troops for the harsh environment. And – most importantly – we need to ensure that the communications infrastructure is in place to deliver the next generation, network-enabled tools that give today’s warfighter a strategic, tactical edge over their adversaries.

And that last area is one in which our military could certainly use some help. According to Jon Bennett of SES Space and Defense, the military’s current communications satellites may not be enough to meet their demands in the Arctic Region.

To learn more about the unique communications requirements of the Arctic Circle, the Government Satellite Report Podcast recently sat down with Jon. During our podcast discussion, Jon talked about why the military’s WGS wideband satellite constellation may not be sufficient to deliver the connectivity and bandwidth necessary for operations in the Arctic Circle, and how commercial satellite capacity could help to bolster what is already available – while also delivering new advanced capabilities to today’s warfighter.

Click the PLAY button below to listen to what Jon had to say:

For additional information on the unique communications challenges facing our military in the Arctic Circle, and the role that satellite can play in connecting warfighters in the region, click HERE.

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Simply looking at a map is enough to see why the Arctic is so important, strategically, for our military. The U.S. and its largest ally, Canada, are amazingly close to what is essentially our largest, near-peer adversary.

A capable homeland defense, in the polar area of responsibility, is fundamental to the nation’s ability to conduct global operations.  Looking at that map makes it abundantly clear that any military defense of our nation from Russia needs to take the Arctic Circle into account. It’s an attack vector that simply can’t be ignored.

This is a reality that’s made even more important by the fact that, as Voice of America reports, Russia is investing heavily in its presence in the Arctic region:

“Russia has made reaffirming its presence in the Arctic a top goal, revamping the military Arctic outpost of Severny Klever along the Arctic shipping route. Missile launchers ply icy roads and air defense systems point menacingly into the sky at this Arctic military outpost, a key vantage point for Russia to project its power over the resource-rich polar region.”

But it’s not just about protection from Russia and proximity to an adversary. As global climate change continues to melt arctic ice and open up new northern trade routes, it becomes increasingly important to protect them and America’s economic interests.

All of these factors, combined, are what led U.S. Air Force Gen. Terrence O’Shaughnessy, who leads U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) and North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), to claim that, “The Arctic is the first line of defense,” at last year’s Sea Air Space 2019 Conference.  After all, the General is responsible for mitigating threats and serves as the primary defender of the homeland.

The need to increase operations and preparedness in the Arctic Circle is clear, but what does that mean, and what will the military need to make that a reality?

Something old and something new
To prepare for a threat to trade or national security that originates or flows through the Arctic Circle, there are a number of things that the military needs to invest in. The first would be a port or military base to counter the Russian Severny Klever base. Congress has already authorized the DoD to begin the process of establishing at least one Arctic port in which to station Navy and Coast Guard vessels.

Next would be the construction of new heavy ice breakers, whose ability to navigate through icy and frozen waters is necessary for operations in the far north. There are currently only two ice breakers in the country’s arsenal, but the first new ice breakers built since the 1970s are on their way – although they’re not slated to be available for a few years.

Further research of the Arctic Circle and the impact the harsh environment will have on our operations is also required.  The extreme conditions will present the warfighter with new and unique challenges.

Finally, there’s the need for innovation. Sometimes this means finding innovative uses for old school tools to enable success – such as deploying warfighters with baseball bats to be used in the clearing of ice. And sometimes that means utilizing new tools to enable advanced technologies – such as the use of high-throughput, low latency satellite for high bandwidth applications.

Connectivity in the cold
Today’s military is increasingly reliant on network-connected platforms and weapons systems. They utilize advanced IT capabilities and applications to enable their operations. While the military always prepares to operate in network-denied environments and conditions, there is no denying that these tools provide a strategic edge for the warfighter.

It is clear that USNORTHCOM and NORAD have taken aggressive steps to improve homeland defense.  This includes clearly prioritizing polar communications, as a strategic imperative, that will enable key U.S. capabilities needed to outperform adversarial threats the nation faces.

Unfortunately, both ships at sea and in remote locations suffer from a similar problem – a lack of terrestrial networks. The problem is compounded for ships at sea operating in some of the world’s harshest and most remote locations – which includes the Arctic Circle.

However, governments in far northern geographies and in incredibly remote locations have been relying on satellite communications to meet their connectivity requirements for years.

Kativik, Quebec, Canada has long relied on SES satellites for, “…critical C-band communications capability… [that] enables important connectivity for schools, hospitals, government buildings, and other important facilities.” Where, exactly, is Kativik? If you were looking at a map of Canada, placed your finger on Quebec City and began to slide your finger north – passed where the roads ended and up to where the land juts out between the Hudson Strait and Hudson Bay – you’d find yourself pointing at Kativik, Quebec, Canada.

And while Kativik is incredibly remote, it’s not alone in its use of SATCOM for connectivity in the far north.

The OptimERA Internet Service Provider (ISP), which serves the rural Alaskan city of Unalaska, recently partnered with SES to give, “Residents, businesses, schools, healthcare clinics and other organizations in parts of Alaska…access [to] city-wide WiFi and broadband services.” This partnership was announced during the COVID-19 pandemic, when stay-at-home orders stressed local networks and communications infrastructure.

Finally, SATCOM is being used by the European Maritime Safety Agency’s (EMSA) Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS) to, “…support the country’s requirements for environmental protection and fisheries control,” in important areas of the Icelandic Exclusive Economic Zone.

All of these areas are remote, geographically-isolated and located in the far north, and they’re all getting access to essential connectivity and IT services through SATCOM. More excitingly, they may soon have another, more powerful tool available to them.

The need for more capacity and dynamic connectivity will only grow as the U.S. military expands its operations in the Arctic Circle. To address this demand, SES and their subsidiary, SES Space and Defense, are exploring inclined orbits for their Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) constellations that would complement their GEO satellites currently serving the region.

The additional satellites would potentially join the O3b mPOWER fleet at a plane that would allow the polar regions continuous high throughput, low-latency connectivity – delivering fiber-like access to support even the most advanced, bandwidth-hungry applications.

Aggressively leveraging innovation and advancements in the commercial SATCOM sector, particularly investments in the MEO regime, is essential to establishing a resilient communications architecture in support of DoD and COCOM polar region operations.

There are a number of things the DoD is going to need to do and invest in to prepare for having an increased presence and defense in the Arctic Circle. They’re going to have to invest in a new port. They’re going to need new Navy and Coast Guard vessels capable of handling the conditions. They’re going to have to train a new generation of warfighter that has never operated in such harsh environments. Most importantly, they’re going to need to find a way to deliver the data and network connectivity necessary for their advanced network-enabled platforms and weapons systems.

Luckily, SATCOM is already connecting and enabling governments in the far north, and commercial SATCOM providers are prepared to meet these new Arctic DoD requirements with innovative, high-throughput capabilities.

(Featured image: The Coast Guard Cutter Polar Star by Chief Petty Officer David Mosley)

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As in previous years, this year’s AFCEA West brought together senior military decision makers and private industry leaders to talk about their largest technology and communications challenges and discuss the latest innovations and technology trends that can help the military accomplish its missions. Also, much like in previous years, this year’s AFCEA West was heavily attended by the U.S. Navy, with a large focus on the USINDOPACOM Area of Responsibility (AoR) – which makes sense considering the event’s physical location.

What was different – and rather surprising – about this year’s event was the overarching topics of discussion. Unlike in years past, fewer of the discussions that I had with military leaders focused on the logistical and geographic challenges that the USINDOPACOM AoR poses to the Navy – a topic that has been covered extensively on the Government Satellite Report by some of my associates. Instead, they talked extensively about two different topics – the requirements being put on the Navy due to cloud initiatives and implementations and the cybersecurity concerns facing military communications.

Let’s take a look at each of those things individually, and then talk about some of the ways that we feel satellite can help.

Navy looks to go “cloud first”
The scalability, flexibility and cost savings that often result from cloud implementations have driven many top-down “cloud first” initiatives across the federal government. Until recently, a myriad of concerns and challenges – including security concerns – had put the Department of Defense (DoD) and military entities behind many civilian federal agencies in cloud adoption.

However, following the recent release of the DoD Cloud Strategy, the military has accelerated their movement to the cloud. This was reinforced during AFCEA West by Rear Admiral Danelle Barrett, who gave a presentation on how the Navy Cyber Security Division (N2N6G) has been running pilot programs to identify how to best utilize the cloud.

With military systems and applications moving to the cloud, the need for connectivity at the edge increases dramatically. Also, since all data and applications will be hosted in the cloud and some of those files will be very large, the connections available to the warfighter need to offer high bandwidth and low latency to ensure operations on par with terrestrial networks.

Also, with mission-critical applications and information being accessed via the cloud, the need for assured communications and secure communications becomes increasingly important.

The need for mission assurance and security
The military increasingly relies on network-connected devices, platforms and vehicles in-theater, network connectivity becomes essential to the mission. As Rear Adm. Boris Becker, Commander of the Navy’s Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center, said during a panel discussion at AFCEA West, “It’s information in warfare and information as warfare.”

Regardless of where the warfighter is operating, connectivity needs high availability and also needs to be resilient against attack.

Our enemies understand the advantage that our military gains through IT systems and applications. They also know the role that satellite plays in enabling those IT systems and applications. It behooves our adversaries to aggressively work to deny satellite capabilities to our warfighters.

As Marine Corps Commandant, Gen. Robert Neller, responded during a session at AFCEA West, “We’re at war right now in cyberspace. We’ve been at war for maybe a decade.”

Unfortunately, our increasingly sophisticated adversaries – especially those in the USINDOPACOM AoR – are becoming extremely capable and adept at denying satellite connectivity. Our adversaries – especially China and Russia – have shown that they are capable of denying satellite connectivity a number of ways. From direct kinetic attacks on satellites themselves, to simply jamming satellite signals, satellite connections are becoming more susceptible to attack at a time when they’re becoming more important than ever.

Luckily, commercial satellite solutions that are available today could help the military overcome their bandwidth, latency and mission assurance issues.

MEO delivers secure high-throughput connectivity
As we’ve established, the military is going all in on bandwidth-hogging applications and systems in the cloud, and network-enabling many of their devices and platforms. Coupled with their cloud initiatives, this is driving massive need for bandwidth at the edge.

Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) satellite constellations are capable of delivering that high-throughput, high-bandwidth connectivity. Utilizing satellites that are half the distance to the Earth than geostationary (GEO) satellites, MEO constellations bring fiber-like connectivity to the military without the usual latency that impacts GEO satellite services. This means that even cloud applications can operate in the field via satellite with the same level of responsiveness and performance as they would over terrestrial networks.

Then there’s the issue of security and mission assurance. With missions increasingly relying on network-enabled devices, applications and platforms, mission success is increasingly tied to network availability. This is also an area where commercially-operated MEO satellite constellations can help.

It’s well established that distributing military communications through commercial satellite networks can help increase mission assurance by simply making it harder to find and negate the satellite carrying them. But, MEO satellites come with additional mission assurance capabilities baked-in.

To jam satellite signals, an adversary has to physically be located within the satellite beam. The spot beams being utilized by HTS MEO satellites are physically smaller, forcing any would-be satellite jammer to be uncomfortably close to opposing military forces. The very nature of the steerable spotbeams on MEO satellites also makes it possible to direct additional beams or replacement beams to fill in for ones that have been denied or compromised.

If AFCEA West showed us anything, it’s that the Navy – as well as the rest of the military – is doubling down on network-centric operations and increasingly moving into the cloud. While this will ultimately unlock incredible capabilities and benefits to the warfighter, it also creates connectivity and security challenges. However, by partnering with industry and utilizing the advanced satellite services available to them – including today’s MEO satellite constellations – the DoD can overcome these challenges and ensure that the warfighter always has access to what they need.

To learn more about the potential benefits of MEO at the edge, download the whitepaper, “High Throughput on the High Seas.”

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