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Global Broadcast System
GBS

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Global Broadcast System (GBS) provides real-time situational awareness to commanders and Soldiers and can be used to inform and update disadvantaged units on the battlefield that are disconnected from the tactical network. With bandwidth that is 20 times higher than traditional satellite terminals, GBS enables Soldiers to securely receive large data files in minutes versus hours, while reducing burden and network congestion on the tactical network.  

GBS provides receive-only high-speed broadcast of large-volume data and multimedia products including Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) video, imagery, intelligence, maps, weather, biometric data, and security and system software updates, to deployed command posts and garrisoned forces worldwide.  

Since GBS is a broadcast service, large up-to-date data files can be delivered to subordinate units in the fight simultaneously, without additional load on the command networks. GBS leverages military and commercial satellites, sending information over the DOD Information Network (DoDIN) via DoD Teleport sites. Because GBS leverages the DOD’s enterprise network instead of the Army’s tactical network, it frees up tactical network bandwidth to use for other critical data exchange. GBS could be used to rapidly push software updates and security patches to tactical network transport equipment across the Army. 

GBS consists of a variety of receive suites that are owned and operated by the armed services and other government agencies, and a Satellite Broadcast Manager (SBM) co-located with Defense Information System’s Agency’s (DISA) Defense Enterprise Computing Centers (DECC). The DECC SBM connects to a variety of national sources through the Department of Defense Information Network (DoDIN) and generates broadcasts for transmission over Wideband Global SATCOM (WGS) satellites through worldwide DoD Teleport/Standard Tactical Entry Point (STEP) sites.      

Capabilities

  • Receives data at a rate 20 times higher than current tactical network ground terminals 
  • Provides near real-time situational awareness to commanders and Soldiers 
  • Operates over the WGS system, augmented as required by commercial Ku-band satellites 
  • Reduces burden on the Tactical Network   
  • Easy to deploy Ground Receive Suites enable deployed forces to directly receive two channels of national level data and full motion video and distribute to them to command post local area network users