To retain the edge over near-peer adversaries in the technology race, PdM UNCI ensures that emerging Science and Technology (S&T) solutions are explored, matured, and integrated to support a unified resilient and secure network. The product office continues to evaluate evolving capabilities such as new commercial satellite constellations, multi-orbit capable terminals, automated primary, alternate, contingency, emergency (A-PACE) capabilities, non-traditional waveform technologies, high-throughput line-of-sight (LOS) communications, etc. leveraging real-world operations, Soldier and lab assessments, and global training exercises.
Multi-Orbit SATCOM
High-throughput low-latency (HT/LL) capabilities and technologies -- such as commercial Low Earth Orbit (LEO), Medium Earth Orbit (MEO), and high-throughput Geostationary (GEO) satellite systems and services – are being used to augment existing satellite communications (SATCOM) solutions to create a more robust and resilient network.
The Army anticipates the proliferation of HT/LL satellite capabilities to deliver expeditionary, mobile, beyond-line-of-sight communications with significantly increased bandwidth and lower latency, to better enable resilient robust data exchange and future network modernization efforts. LEO, MEO and high-throughput GEO constellations and associated multi-orbit ground terminals are in various stages of development. The Army is looking to leverage the large investments industry is making in these evolving technologies to affordably support its network modernization goals.
The potential lower latency and increase in bandwidth, resiliency and pathway diversity provided by evolving multi-orbit SATCOM systems is opening the door to future network modernization efforts to support Multi-Domain Operations. Along with enhancing sensor-to-shooter and Joint All Domain Command and Control, these new HT/LL SATCOM solutions will also help the Army to implement network modernization efforts such artificial intelligence, data aggregation and edge cloud services.
Additionally, the Army has been looking at various degrees of SATCOM as a Managed Service (SaaMS) – commercial provided services including hardware, software, bandwidth, network traffic aggregation and management, and sustainment support – to reduce resource and budget burdens, and more affordably keep pace with technology. As part of continuing market research and pilot efforts, PdM UNCI continues to look for simple and intuitive solutions that provide commercially managed multi-orbit SATCOM services for operational tactical Army units, with the ability to blend and transfer network traffic seamlessly between evolving HT/LL satellite constellations.
Seeker (Auto-PACE)
The Army is enhancing network resiliency through a capability known as Seeker, which enables automated agnostic transport diversity that significantly increasing the number of network communication pathways available to units. The more pathway options that exist for data to travel through, the more resilient the network becomes. Adaptive network connections determine the optimal signal path at any given moment to enable rapid and reliable data transfer, and the automated changeover to different PACE options is seamless to the edge user, so Soldiers can focus on the fight.
Signal pathway diversity is one of the most critical elements to a resilient network, especially in congested or contested network environments. Armed with the ability to leverage SATCOM in multiple constellations and orbits, provides the Army with more routing choices to enable uninterrupted data exchange on the battlefield. When signals are lost with one constellation, whether unintentional or through enemy interference, they can be rerouted to other pathways, protecting units against loss of situational awareness and mission command during critical battle movement.
Virtual SATCOM Modems
As part of the Army’s Technical Exchange Meeting (TEM) 6 efforts, PdM UNCI is developing prototypes of virtual SATCOM modems – multiple SATCOM waveforms virtually hosted on commercial hardware – to address modem obsolescence and streamline the tactical Army’s satellite modem product line with more functionality and less hardware. These prototypes are being assessed on their flexibility to support current and future waveform interoperability, to include operation over multi-orbit SATCOM, while minimizing size, weight, power, and cost (SWAP-C).
Capabilities
- Increased bandwidth, lower latency compared to legacy SATCOM
- Enhanced resiliency through automated signal path diversity in congested and contested environments
- Supports future network modernization efforts that require HT/LL capability
- High throughput LOS with low probability of intercept/low probability of detection (LPI/LPD)
- Supports transport agnostic networking that is seamless to the user