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Providing Support for the Warfighter

MilsatMagazine.comSecond Quarter 2007 Vol. 1 No. 2

Satellite Communications for net-centric warfare

July-September 2007 MILSATMAGAZINE.COM

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2nd QuarterVol. 1 No. 2

July 2007

Click on the title to godirectly to the storyMILSATMAGAZINE

Regular Departments

3 Notes from the Editor

4 Calendar of Events

5 Industry News

9 Personnel Changes

12 New Products and Services

36 Business Opportunities

40 SPADE Defense Index/ Advertisers’ Index

Cover Story

15 / Providing Support forthe Warfighterby Lisa Daniel

18 / Another Kind of Supportfor the Warfighterby Virgil Labrador

Research firm NSR examines the long-termprospects of the military satellite market forthe commercial sector.

Features

22/ Galileo Comes out of the ClosetBy David Mulholland

26 / Escalating Complexities and Costsin Space Programs: TSAT’s Strategiesto Maximize Performance and Capacityby Wendy Lui

31 / Case Study: Rebuilding Afghanistan's Communications Infrastructureby Virgil Labrador

34 / Spotlight Interview withMaj. Gen. James Armor, Jr.

The challenges are asvast as they are uniqueto satisfy the satellitecommunicationrequirements ofwarfighters in the field.

Not all of the satellite communication needsof the warfighter are of the combat-supportvariety.

Designed as analternative to theGPS systemcontrolled by the USmilitary, the EuropeanGalileo satellitenavigation system is

A case study of asuccessfulimplementation of thebuiding of theGovernmentCommunications

An interview with theDirector of the NationalSpace Security Office,Maj. Gen. James Armor,Jr. on the US’ priorities inthe development ofsatellite communicationscapabilities and how to

having some difficulties getting off theground.

Network (GCN) for Afghanistan.

improve partnership between thegovernment and industry.

The upcoming newsatellite constellationsfor the US militaryrequire complexmanagement. This

article examines how the strategiesemployed by the Transformational SatelliteCommunications (TSAT) program in orderto maximize performance and capacity.

19 / Communications Satellites for Fixedand Mobile Military Communicationsby Claude Rousseau

July 2007 MILSATMAGAZINE.COM

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MILSATMAGAZINE.COM

Satnews Publishers is theleading provider of informationon the worldwide satelliteindustry. Fore more informa-tion, go to www.satnews.com

Cover Design by: Simon Payne

Cover photo credits: ND Satcom,AVL Technologies and Paradigm.

Copyright © 2007Satnews PublishersAll rights reserved.

EDITORIAL

Silvano PaynePublisher

Virgil Labrador([email protected])Managing Editor

Bernardo SchneidermanEditor, Latin America

Peter I. GalaceEditor, Asia-Pacific

Lisa Daniel, David MulhollandContributing Writers

Jill Durfee([email protected])Advertising Sales

Simon PayneWebmaster

NOTES from the EDITOR

“Winning the Peace”

MilsatMagazine accepts articlecontributions from the industry and themilitary community. For more informationor to submit proposals for possiblearticles, send a one-paragraph or lessabstract of the proposed article [email protected]

Published quarterly bySatnews Publishers800 Siesta Way,Sonoma, CA 95476 USAPhone (707) 939-9306Fax (707) 939-9235E-mail: [email protected]: www.satmagazine.com

Someone once said that the objective of war is to win the peace. This issue’s theme is “Providing Support for theWarfighter.” As we will see from the articles in this issue,satellite communications can not only provide criticalbattlefield support for the warfighter but can also provideother support to the warfighter such as access tocommunications with their loved ones or for personal

development such as getting a degree online (see article on page 18,“Another Kind of Support for the Warfighter”). The access that satellitecommunications provides can be just as vital to the overall well-being of asoldier in the field.

It also heartening to note, that there can be a “peace dividend” fromconflicts such as the rebuilding of Afghanistan’s communicationsinfrastructure chronicled in the case study on page 31. Previously shut offfrom the modern world by the Taliban, Afghan citizens are now enjoying aboom in telecommunications services that has opened them up to the world and spurred a modest economic growth.

Satellite communications is really a potent medium for social change anddevelopment. This has been proven throughout its short history where ithas made possible the phenomena of globalization and the empowermentof individuals by opening up access to a world of information. However, asa medium, satellite technology is by itself neutral and can be used formany purposes including those that can be detrimental to society as Maj.Gen. James Armor, Director of the National Space Security Officecorrectly points out in the interview featured on page 34.

The key is always to remain vigilant against these threats to ensure thatsatellite communications continues to have a positive impact on ourmodern society.

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July 11-12, 2007Military Space and Satellite Systems 2007Thistle Marble Arch Hotel, London, UKContact: Yousuf MalikTel: + 44 (0) 207 368 9348Email: [email protected]

July 30-August 1, 2007GRIDCOM SummitGeorgetown University Conference CenterWashington, D.C. USAContact: Scott KirbyTel: +1-973-256-0211Email: [email protected]

Aug. 21-23, 2007LandWarNet Conference 2007Ft. Lauderdale, FL, USAContact: Terry RogersTel. +1-703-631-6238E-Mail: [email protected]: www.afcea.org/events

September 12-13, 2007Network Centric Warfare 2007SingaporeContact: [email protected]. +65-6722 9388

Oct. 9-10, 2007MILComms 2007London, UKContact:Amir SebahatTel. +44 (0)207 368 9870E-mail: [email protected]: http://www.wbresearch.com/milcommseurope/

Oct. 29-31, 2007MILCOM 2007 - Military CommunicationsConferenceGaylord Convention Center, OrlandoFlorida, USAContact: AFCEA Exhibits Departmentc/o Spargo & Associates, Inc.Tel. +1-703-631-6200 / +1-800-564-4220E-mail: [email protected]: www.milcom.org

November 5-8, 2007Transforming SpaceSheraton Gateway HotelLos Angeles, CA, USAContact: Scott KirbyTel: +1-805-349-2633Email: [email protected]: www.californiaspaceauthority.org/conference2007

November 6-9, 2007TechNet Asia-PacificSheraton Waikiki and Ryal Hawaiian Hotels,Honolulu, Hawaii USAContact: AFCEA Events at +1-703-631-6130 E-mail: [email protected]: www.afcea.org/events/asiapacific

Nov. 28-29, 2007Aerospace & Defense Finance ConferenceNew York, NY, USAContact: Lydia JanowTel.: +1-800-240-7645, +1-212-904-3225 Fax:+1-212-904-3334E-mail: [email protected]: www.aviationweek.com/conferences


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Raytheon Wins $1 Billion NMTSatellite Communications Contract

The Navy Multiband Terminal (NMT) will allow U.S. military vessels to use asingle antenna to communicate with different satellites, saving space andlogistics costs. NMT is a system of submarine, shore-based and shipboardcommunications terminals for the transformational satellite communica-tions (SATCOM) component of the U.S. Navy’s FORCEnet concept.

Navy and allies like the U.K., the Netherlands and Canada. Theterminals will be deployed on ships, submarines and on-shore

installations, and it is intended to work with a wide variety ofmilitary communications satellites. In all, some 300

terminals are required, which will begin fielding in 2010.

Raytheon won an initial $21 million contract that isworth up to $960 million if all of its options areexercised, the Pentagon said. Work is expected toend by 2011, but if all options are used it could extendthrough 2015, according to the contractannouncement.

Washington, D.C., -- The Raytheon Companyhas won the $1 billion Navy Multiband Terminal(NMT) satellite communications program overHarris Corporation.

The U.S. Department of Defense said Raytheonwill be the prime contractor for NMT, which willprovide communications terminals for the U.S.

INDUSTRY NEWS

http://www.globalprotocols.com

June 2007 MILSATMAGAZINE.COM

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NEWS

U.S. to Test Internet via Satellite for WarfightingBETHESDA, MD, The U.S.government has embarked onan industry-governmentcollaboration to demonstrate theviability of conducting U.S.military communicationsthrough an Internet router inspace.

The Department of Defense’s(DoD) “Internet Routing in Space(IRIS) Joint CapabilityTechnology DemonstrationProject” represents the nextgeneration of space-basedcommunications. IRIS will serve as a computer processor inthe sky, merging communications being received on variousfrequency bands and transmitting them to multiple usersbased on data instructions embedded in the uplink. IntelsatGeneral Corporation will manage IRIS, one of seven projectsfunded and announced in fiscal 2007 as a Joint CapabilityTechnology Demonstration (JCTD) by the DoD.

”The IRIS architecture allows direct IP routing over satellite,eliminating the need for routing via a ground-based teleport,thereby dramatically increasing the efficiency and flexibility ofthe satellite communications link,” said Don Brown, vicepresident of Hosted Payload Programs for Intelsat General.“IRIS is to the future of satellite-based communications whatArpanet was to the creation of the Internet in the 1960s.”

Space Systems/Loral will manufacture the satellite scheduledto carry the IRIS payload. The satellite, IS-14, is set for launchin the first quarter of 2009. It will be placed in geostationaryorbit at 45 degrees West longitude with coverage of Europe,Africa and the Americas. The payload will convert tocommercial use once testing has been completed.

The IRIS payload will support network services for voice, video

and data communications, enabling military units or alliedforces to communicate with one another using Internetprotocol and existing ground equipment.

The IRIS payload will interconnect one C-band and two Ku-band coverage areas. The IRIS architecture and design allowfor flexible IP packet (layer 3) routing or multicast distributionthat can be reconfigured on demand. With the on-boardprocessor routing the up and down communications links, theIRIS payload is expected to enhance satellite performanceand reduce signal degradation from atmospheric conditions.

The Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) will haveoverall responsibility for coordinating use of the IRIStechnology among the government user community and fordeveloping means of leveraging the IRIS capability once thesatellite is in space.

Intelsat General, a wholly owned subsidiary of Intelsat Ltd, isthe first commercial satellite company to be awarded a JCTDprogram. The IRIS JCTD is a three-year program that allowsDoD to collaborate with Intelsat General and its industry teamto demonstrate and assess the utility of the IRIS capability.

Awarding a JCTD for the IRIS program had the strong supportof the U.S. Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM), which seesthe program as a path to more efficient communicationsbetween warfighters around the globe. USSTRATCOM is ajoint military command whose responsibilities include spaceoperations, missile defense, intelligence, reconnaissanceand global command and control.

Global networking firm Cisco will provide commercial IPnetworking software for the on-board router. SEAKREngineering, Inc. will manufacture the space-hardened routerand integrate it into the IRIS payload.

Concerto Advisors, a financial advisory firm, is organizingequity financing for a new company to provide the funds todesign, build and operate the equipment used for thedemonstration. Following the JCTD testing period, Concerto’saffiliate will own the equipment, and Intelsat will operate theequipment on Concerto’s behalf to provide services forgovernment and commercial users.

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U.S. soldiers on patrolin Iraq. (US Army photo).

SWE-DISH Receives 70 MSEK (US$ 10 mil) Order

Stockholm, Sweden, SWE-DISH Satellite Systems AB,has been awarded a close to 70 MSEK (US$ 10 mil) orderfor a complete satellite communications system from FMV– the Defense Material Administration – the procurementauthority of the Swedish Department of Defense.

Harris said it was disappointed but hoped to reuse itstechnology on other programs. “We did do a lot of work onthis program, developing a lot of communications expertisethat we believe we can use in other programs and othersatellite opportunities in the future,” said Harris.

The NMT program, led by the Space and Naval WarfareSystems Command (SPAWAR), seeks to exploit the extendeddata-rate (XDR) capability that will be offered by the AdvancedExtremely High Frequency (AEHF) satellite communicationssystem. NMT terminals will be more reliable than existingterminals, provide more bandwidth and be compliant with theSoftware Communications Architecture (SCA), enablingcoherence with the Joint Tactical Radio System (JTRS)program.


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The system is specified as a backbone of the internalcommunications within the Nordic Battle Group forces, aunit that will be operational under European Unioncommand as of January 2008.

The system contains mobileSuitcase 0,9 meter, and Fly-Away 1,5 meter antennasystems for broadbandconnectivity and a networksolution for up to 40 nodesbased on iDirect technology.There is a considerableamount of training andsupport included in thedeliveries. Delivery of thesystem will start immediatelyand end before the end of2007.

”The order is very importantfor SWE-DISH since FMV isvalued on the internationalmarket as a highlyprofessional militaryprocurement authority. We willnow have an excellentreference when presentingour world class satellitesystems to the internationalgovernmental markets” saysÅke Jönsson, Vice PresidentSales.

”The choice of the FMV of oursatellite systems for theNordic Battle Group confirmsthe fact that the militaryorganizations of the world arerelying more and more onsatellite communicationsequipment as part of theirmodern net-centric warfarestrategy. We are convincedthat this is only the beginningof a multitude of governmentaldefence organizations thatwill invest in our solutions,and I would like to extend our

greatest appreciation to the FMV for choosing SWE-DISH in this procurement” said Lars Jehrlander, CEO,SWE-DISH Satellite Systems AB.

INDUSTRY NEWS

http://www.gridcomusa.com


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NEWTON, N.C., -- General Dynamics Satcom Technologies hasbeen awarded a $30.5 million follow-on order for satellitecommunications terminals that will be used in the U.S. MarineCorps Support Wide Area Network (SWAN) program.

The U.S. Army Communications-Electronics LifecycleManagement Command, Ft. Monmouth, N.J., is the contractingauthority. The order is the first of four options on an indefinitedelivery/indefinite quantity contract that has a total potentialvalue of $160 million if all options are exercised.

The terminals will provide deployed warfighters with beyond-line-of-sight communications for a broad spectrum of informationservices including video, multimedia, data and imagery. Underthis order, the U.S. Marine Corps is requesting quantities ofGeneral Dynamics Warrior 120 (1.2-meter) and Warrior 180 (1.8-meter) very small aperture (VSAT) flyaway terminals and 2.4-meter trailer-mounted terminals for quick-setup tacticalcommunications.

The Marine’s SWAN program is acquiring this equipmentthrough the World-Wide Satellite Systems (WWSS) contract,which is intended to provide communications systems that arecapable of overcoming existing and projected bandwidthconstraints for Department of Defense transformation programsworldwide. WWSS is available to support all federalcommunications missions, including disaster relief andhomeland security efforts.

$750 Million GSA Satcom-II DealGoes to 24 Firms

WASHINGTON DC,-- Defense industry heavyweights tookmost of the contracts awarded by the U.S. Government ServicesAdministration (GSA) for its $750 million Satellite Services-II(Satcom-II) program.

Satcom-II will provide federal and defense agencies with thenext generation of high quality, worldwide satellitecommunications solutions and will serve as the primaryreplacement vehicle for the existing GSA Satellite Servicescontracts. The program includes current commercial satelliteservice offerings, as well as those that anticipate the futureneeds of GSA customers. In addition, the Satcom-II program willmaintain a timely contract modification process to ensure thatcustomers have access to the newest technologies and servicesavailable within the industry.

Satcom-II consists of five-year, indefinite delivery, indefiniteMSM

quantity contracts, and will replace the existing GSA SatelliteServices program. Satcom-II offers competitive pricingthroughout the life of the contract, as well as flexible orderingand billing.

Large business awardees are Americom Government Services,Inc., Arrowhead Global Solutions, Inc., Artel, Inc., AT&T Corp.,DRS Technical Services, EDS Corp., Global CommunicationsSolutions, Inc., Hughes Network Systems, LLC, IntelsatGeneral Corporation, Mackay Communications, Inc., Segovia,Inc., Stratos Mobile Network, Inc., TelecommunicationsSystems, Inc., Telenor Satellite Services and ViaSat, Inc.

Small businesses comprise over one third of the Satcom-IIawardees. They are CVG, Inc., DasNet Corporation, E&EEnterprises Global, Knight Sky Consulting and Associates,LLC, New Orleans Teleport, Inc., Psi Systems, Inc., RiteNetCorporation, Satellite Communication Systems, Inc. and SkjeiTelecom, Inc. Small business awardees comprise more thanone-third of the Satcom-II awardees.

Satellite provides the only network available where no phone orcable lines exist, which is usual for federal workers fightingwilderness wildfires, patrolling remote borders and rescuinginjured citizens from devastating hurricanes or tornadoes. Withthe rapid and reliable communications networks provided bythis contract, federal workers can use hand-held receiverssimilar to cell phones as well as access full broadbandcomputer networks anywhere in the world.

These networks begin with a compact satellite station that fitsin a car trunk but provides all computer, e-mail and broadbandInternet capability normally found only in the office. Thesestations can even operate from aircraft and ships. Satcom-II’sbroadband access also makes possible broadcast services aswell as distance learning for federal customers in areasthroughout the world that don’t have a normal communicationsnetwork, because it enables audio and video transmission ofeducational material.

Satcom-II offers GSA customers unique opportunities—aspecial small business set-aside component for satelliteprofessional support services and an innovative way to stayahead of the technology curve. The set-aside helps agenciesbetter involve America’s outstanding small businesses inserving citizens, and a new modification process keepsSatcom-II current with new technologies and services as theybecome commercially available.

Last April, GSA awarded its $48 billion Networx Universaltelecommunications contract to Qwest, AT&T, Inc. and VerizonCommunications, Inc. GSA estimates that the governmentwould spend $20 billion under the contract, although thecontract ceiling is set at $48.1 billion. AT&T, Verizon and Qwestwill compete for task orders under this massive program.

General Dynamics to Produce USMCTactical Satellite CommunicationsTerminals

INDUSTRY NEWS


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PERSONNEL CHANGES

Robert Turner

XTAR Appoints William R. Schmidtas Vice-President of Government Services

ROCKVILLE, MD.-- XTAR, LLC, a joint venture betweenLoral Space & Communications and HISDESAT, appointedWilliam R. Schmidt vice president of government services. Mr.Schmidt will be responsible for the business development,sales, and marketing of XTAR’s unique X-band services to thecivil and military sectors of the U.S. government, including theDepartments of Defense, State and Homeland Security, as wellas allied governments. He reports to Dr. Denis Curtin, chiefoperating officer of XTAR.

Mr. Schmidt is a senior level executive with over 25 yearsexperience leading teams in winning and performing on multi-million dollar domestic and international information technology,defense, aerospace and commercial projects. He joins XTARfrom ARTEL Inc., where he served as director, global solutions.As a senior member of ARTEL’s management team, he wasfocused on growing its overseas business and contributing tothe implementation of ARTEL’s strategic direction.

Prior to joining ARTEL, Mr. Schmidt brought his expertise inmanagement, strategic planning and business development tomultiple clients as a principal with Turner Consulting Services.Under his leadership, Turner helped its clients’ book over $85million in new business. Previously, he moved his career intotelecommunications, information technology and informationsecurity by joining Data Systems Analysts, Inc., as director ofbusiness development, federal sector, where he helped doublethe size of the company’s federal business.

After serving three years as a U.S. Army Air Crewman, Billbegan his career in aerospace and defense as Manager,Government Training & Operations with the Link Division ofSinger, where he held P&L responsibility for multi-million dollarU.S. government contracts. From program management, hemoved into business development and marketing for Link,winning many domestic and overseas projects. He continued inpositions of increasing management responsibility, working forother large multi-billion dollar multinationals such as FiggieInternational and Honeywell, where he led the team that wonthe largest Navy simulator procurement of $153 million.

A graduate of the University of Maryland, Mr. Schmidt holds aBS in market management and operations research. Hissecurity clearance is Secret.

Comtech EF Data Expands Govern-ment Business wth the Appointment ofRobert Turner as Vice-President, Government Group

TEMPE, Arizona-- ComtechEF Data Corporation expandedits government programs groupwith the appointment of RobertTurner to vice president,government programs. Turnerwill manage the governmentprograms group, which is thecompany’s primary interface togovernment,military and civilian agencycustomers. Turner brings

nearly 20 years of leadership experience in sales andmarketing for service providers and telecommunicationscompanies serving government sectors.

Prior to joining Comtech EF Data, Turner heldmanagement positions with SES New Skies, Equant,Global One and Sprint. His background involvesworking with federal, state and local governments,civilian agencies and armed forces ontelecommunications and satellite-based projects.

“We are pleased to have Robert Turner join our team,”said Bob Hansen, senior vice president global sales andmarketing. “His vast experience with governmentcustomers will enable us to better serve these markets.”

Turner holds an MBA from the University of MarylandUniversity College and a bachelor’s degree from theUniversity of Maryland, College Park.

Northrop Grumman Appoints TomMacKenzie, Vice President of NavalPrograms

ARLINGTON, VA,--Northrop Grumman Corporation hasnamed Thomas L. MacKenzie, vice president of navalprograms. In this position, MacKenzie reports to LarryLanzillotta, vice president of customer relations withinNorthrop Grumman’s government relations organization.


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PERSONNEL CHANGES

As vice president of naval programs, MacKenzie will serve asthe company’s primary liaison for government customermaintaining effective customer contact, relations and a fullunderstanding of the company’s naval customers’requirements.

MacKenzie joined Northrop Grumman in 2005 as corporate

BAE Systems NamesJohn Jarman Vice-President of C3ISystems

SAN DIEGO — BAE Systemshas named John Jarman vicepresident and general managerof its Command, Control,Computing and Intelligence (C3I)Systems business, based in SanDiego.

C3I Systems serves the defense,homeland security, andintelligence communities with

director of navy programs. Beforecoming to Northrop Grumman, hehad spent seven years as thesenior professional staff member ofthe Senate Armed ServicesCommittee where he wasresponsible for providingrecommendations on oversight ofall aviation, shipbuilding andassociated weapons systemsdevelopment and procurementprograms.

Previously, MacKenzie spent 29years in the U.S. Navy as anaviator and in programmanagement. He culminated hisflying career as a commander of anF-14 Tomcat squadron and spentfour years as program manager forair-to-air missiles.

MacKenzie earned a bachelor’sdegree in aerospace engineeringfrom the U.S. Naval Academy and amaster’s degree in systemsmanagement from the University ofSouthern California.

solutions for imagery exploitation and analysis, systemsintegration, targeting, data fusion and archiving, andmission planning. C3I Systems employs 2,500 people atmore than 10 U.S. sites that include San Diego; Reston,Virginia; Omaha, Nebraska; Rome, New York; MountLaurel, New Jersey; and Pittsburgh.

http://www.xicomtech.com


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PERSONNEL CHANGES

Jarman previously served as vice president and deputygeneral manager of BAE Systems’ National SecuritySolutions business. He joined the finance organization ofGeneral Dynamics in San Diego in 1984 and transitionedwith the business through multiple owners until its merger

marketing and management from Rutgers University, aswell as a bachelor’s degree in business management,also from Rutgers. Flack is a graduate of the UnitedStates Navy Electronics Technician Class A-C School,where he finished first in his class. MSM

with BAE Systems in 1999.In 2001, he became vicepresident of businessoperations.

He holds a bachelor’sdegree in informationsystems and master’sdegree in finance from SanDiego State University.

HYPRES NamesGlenn FlackDirector ofStrategic Programs

Elmsford, New York ---HYPRES Inc.named GlennFlack director of strategicprograms. Flack isresponsible for developingbusiness opportunities inboth the commercial andgovernment sectors.

Flack brings to HYPRESmore than 20 years ofexperience in relevantindustries, includingexpertise in conception,design, programmanagement and productline management for a broadrange of electronic productsand systems. He has held anumber of managementpositions with a variety ofleading companies, includingDRS Technologies,AutoWorks Performance,and General AtronicsCorporation.

Flack earned an MBA in

http://www.wavestream.com


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NEW PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

ND SATCOM Launches New SkyWAN®

Platform for Government and DefenceApplications

Singapore --- ND SatCom is extending its SkyWAN® linewith new modem technology integrated in the NDSatCom SkyWAN® IDU 7000. This Indoor Unit (IDU) is

SkyWAN® IDU 7000 is IPv6 ready and therefore suitablefor seamless integration into the terrestrial world.

ViaSat MD-1366 EBEM Satellite ModemReceives Full DISA InteroperabilityCertificationCarlsbad, CA –- ViaSat Inc. (Nasdaq:VSAT) has beengranted Full Certification for its MD-1366 EnhancedBandwidth Efficient Modem (EBEM) for operation overthe Defense Satellite Communications System (DSCS)Network by the Defense Information Systems Agency(DISA). Certification means the ViaSat EBEM can beused on all DSCS satellite networks, is interoperable withlegacy modems, and can operate in advanced spectrumefficient modes.

The objective of the EBEM program, a combined projectof the Project Manager Defense Communications andArmy Transmission Systems (PM DCATS), DISA and theU.S. Navy, has been to create and implement a moreefficient, high-speed modem to replace older legacyequipment. Interoperability is a key attribute during thetime-phased transition to the advanced EBEM.

“Through this combined effort the MD-1366 will save U.S.forces significant dollars annually in leased bandwidthcosts by increasing the capacity of each circuit,” said RayJefferson, EBEM program manager at ViaSat. “Thiscertification signals that the MD-1366 meets the military’stechnical requirements and can be trusted for efficient,high-speed satellite communications.”

The ViaSat MD-1366 holds several key advantages overdeployed legacy modems:

• Tighter carrier spacing on satellitetransponders to increase throughput

• Information Throughput Adaptation (ITA) toconvert power margin to higher data ratesthat far exceed legacy modems in normalweather conditions and provides automaticimprovements in modulation and coding inthe presences of adverse conditions.

• Embedded AES 256-based TransmissionSecurity (TRANSEC) for overhead andcontrol channel protection and bulkencryption of baseband traffic.

ND SatCom’s SkyWAN® IDU7000. (photo courtesy of ND SatCom)

the newflagship ofSkyWAN®’sproduct familyand supportsflexible, secureand costefficientsatellitenetworksolutionsespecially forgovernmentand defenceinstitutions.

The new satellite modem provides efficient Turbo Codingbased on a patented Turbo-˜ algorithm. Specificallyoptimized for MF-TDMA VSAT systems, this increasesthe air interface efficiency of these networks. “With thisfeature, ND SatCom sets a new benchmark for VSATnetworks and brings us ahead of the competition in termsof modem performance and efficiency”, explains Dr.Gerhard Bommas, Managing Director & CTO of NDSatCom. Additionally, SkyWAN® IDU 7000 provides fastertransmission speeds that now exceed 10 Mbit/s, whichsuit key applications such as high-quality imagetransmission for border surveillance. The combination ofmore efficient bandwidth and higher transmission speeds,enable mission critical applications with smaller antennasand higher performance.

ND SatCom provides enhanced security features with thenew modem. SkyWAN® separates the user from networkmanagement data traffic via a dedicated IP network.Unauthorized access to the network is minimized via anew automatic authentication feature in the networkmanagement system, SkyNMS. Defence againstfrequency interference is another key element of thesecurity feature-set.


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• Automatic error-free antenna handover whenline-of-sight view to the satellite is blockeddue to ship movement.

“The advanced modulation in EBEM enables users tosqueeze more data into the same bandwidth and moretraffic into each trunk, so the EBEM certification fromDSCS is critical,” said Johnny Ng, PM DCATS projectleader. “The certification gives users

HYPRES Receiver Directly DigitizesWideband X-Band Signal

confidence that the modem isinteroperable with existing militarysatellite equipment and won’tdegrade the overall systemperformance.”

A test program administered by theU.S. Army Joint SatelliteCommunications EngineeringCenter (JSEC) demonstratedViaSat EBEM interoperability withfive different legacy DoD modems(OM-73, BEM-7650, SLM-3650,MD-1340 and MD-1030B) from fourdifferent equipment vendors. Inaddition, the tests confirmed theoperation of the higher-ordermodulation schemes implementedin the ViaSat EBEM to furtheradvance its bandwidth efficiency.The EBEM successfully operatedusing 8 Phase Shift Keying (8PSK)and 16 Asymmetrical Phase ShiftKeying (16-ASPK), while stillcommunicating with legacyterminals that use simplemodulation schemes.

The ViaSat MD-1366 is the newFDMA (Frequency Division MultipleAccess) standard and next state-of-the-art modem to supportcommunications, command, andcontrol requirements of today’shighly mobile, joint U.S. forcesusing military and commercialsatellites at C-, X-, Ku- and Ka-band frequencies. In addition, theMIL-STD-188-165 Working Groupplans to incorporate the advancedfeatures and capabilities of theMD-1366 EBEM into MIL-STD-188-

HYPRES Inc., a developer of superconductingmicroelectronics technology and the All-Digital RFTM

product line, announced that the X-Band version of itsAll-Digital Receiver (ADR) recently completed asuccessful

http://www.andrew.com


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series of livecommunicationdemonstrations over anXTAR satellite.

The ADR was integratedinto the current militaryinfrastructure’s GSC-39terminal at the U.S. ArmyFort Monmouth’s JointSATCOM EngineeringCenter. The demonstrationswere coordinated by

The ADR Chip is smallerthan a penny. (HYPRESphoto)

Data Link Solutionssuccessfully demonstratesMIDS-JTRS capabilities

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – Data LinkSolutions LLC and the MIDS JTRS Industryand Military Team recently conducted a livedemonstration of the MultifunctionalInformation Distribution System JointTactical Radio System (MIDS-JTRS).

The demonstration involved a MIDS-JTRS form-fitterminal interfacing with a legacy MIDS Low VolumeTerminal (LVT) radio and a Tactical Air Navigation(TACAN) beacon simulator. The Link 16 waveformcommunicated with position and track data beingtransferred between the radios, while another radioprovided range and bearing data from a TACAN beaconsimulator.

The demonstration was performed for the Joint ProgramsExecutive Office board of directors at the Pentagon.

Project Manager, Defense Communicationsand Army Transmission Systems, andthe Communications-Electronics Research,Development and Engineering Center.

With the demonstrated ability to directlydigitize a wideband X-Band signal (above7.6 GHz in frequency—the first time anyonein the world has directly digitized thesefrequencies), the ADR is capable ofeliminating up to 80 percent of the costlyand bulky analog components—such asfrequency converters, splitters, IF waveguides, etc.—associated with the front-endof typical MILSATCOM ground stationscurrently in the field today.

The ADR is a key element in HYPRES’overall effort to develop an All-DigitalTransceiver product line, which will combinethe ADR with the All-Digital Transmitterunder development.

For more information, call 914-592-1190,ext 7794, or visit www.hypres.com.

MSM

http://www.echostarfixedsatellite.com

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July 2007

COVER STORY

When it comes to supplying satellitecommunications on the move, few

markets are as tough to satisfy as that ofwarfighters’. The challenges, fromengineering to business processes, are asvast as they are unique: How do you geta satellite signal to pass through rotaryblades? How small can you build avehicle-mounted terminal and maintainqualitycommunications? Howdo you design a systemthat can bestandardized acrossapplications andservices and one thatforward-deployedtroops can controlthemselves?

These aresome of the centralissues for the growinglist of companies andmilitary organizationsthat provide satcom onthe move. While thecommercial sector ismeeting many of themilitary’s needs, therestill is a long way to gofrom both a technologyand a businessperspective, leaders onboth sides say.

Col. Edward Eidson, technicaldirector and operations officer of theArmy’s Battle Command Battle Lab at FortGordon, Ga., describes the Satcom on themove market as ripe with competition andinvention, but one where technology stilldoesn’t meet the demands of today’s U.S.military. Even the Army’s Joint NodeNetwork, a modular system which is

supposed to be the service’s “bridge tothe future,” does not meet the needs oftoday’s fluid battlefield, Eidson told anaudience at Military Satellites 2007, aconference sponsored by the Institute forDefense and Government Advancementand held in Arlington, Va., in May.

“It’s good equipment at the hull,but it’s not good on the move,” Eidsontold the mostly commercial sectoraudience. “We’ll probably run out ofmoney and bandwidth before the JNNreaches its full potential.”

The Army’s wish list, Eidsonsays, is on-the-move capability that is

highly adaptive and “self-healing.”Soldiers need a system that is easilytransportable, can handle high amountsof data delivered down to the companylevel and can support multiple securityuser enclaves, he said. Moreover, theArmy wants control over satcom intheater, and most of all, the service can’tget enough bandwidth. Its current 90

megabits of datathroughput needs todouble, Eidson says.

For commercialcompanies that want to sellsatcom on the move to warfighters, Edison stressedthe Army’s need for Ku-band.

“Watch the news andsee where we need Kuband,” Eidson said.“Those folks that have Kuin those parts of the worldwhere we need it will haveno lack of business.”

Companies are lining upto take the challenge ofserving the war fighters,but some business leadersworry that the militarypayout won’t match the

years of research anddevelopment before newsystems can be deployed.

Pay “is always an issue,” saidRob Shaughnessy, vice president forbusiness development and engineeringservices for Circadence, a Boulder,Colorado-based company that sells asoftware suite to the military to mitigatecommunication latency.

When it comes to supplying satellite communications on the move,few markets are as tough to satisfy as that of war fighters (photocourtesy of Telenor Satellite Services).

by Lisa Daniel

MILSATMAGAZINE.COM

16Back to Contents

July 2007

COVER STORY

Shaughnessy points tocongressional cuts in Lockheed Martin’sTSAT and TMOS programs,Transformational CommunicationsSatellite and the TransformationalMission Operations System, twokeystones of military satellitecommunications for network centricwarfare. Billions of dollars have been paidinto the system, but “there’s no product,there’s no satellite, there’s nothing toshow for it,” he said. Congress’s rollbacksof such spending will make it harder forprivate companies to take on majorprojects, he said.

The constantly changing statusof projects like TSAT and TMOS andoverall lack of standardization among themany military satcom programs “is asignificant challenge,” Shaughnessy said.“There literally are dozens of programswith on-the-move communicationrequirements and all have their own mixon it,” he said.

At Circadence, leaders studywhich programs “have the most internalprogram traction,” the most budgetsupport and are growing at a good rate todetermine where they will focus theirefforts, Shaughnessy said.

Also, as in the case with its WebAssured Response Protocol, or WARP,software mentioned earlier, Circadencedeveloped protocol for a commerciallymarketed product – in this case,simulation games – which caught theattention of the military for its dataprioritization and acceleration. Afterselling off its gaming section, Circadencemoved forward with its latency mitigationsoftware with the Army in mind.

“Imagine you’re in a humveebouncing around Afghanistan and youpass by a building that puts your dish inshadow and interrupts the signal,”Shaughnessy said. “They don’t use

communications like we do. They mayonly be online for two minutes. Whenthat happens, you need to maintain thoseapplications even when the dish goesinto shadow.”

The issue of the “dish,” orantenna, for satcom on the move remainsone of the biggest challenges for warfighters. A typical three-foot antennamounted to a vehicle will not allow thevehicle to fit inside a C-130, the military’sprinciple transport plane. And, as oftoday, there is not room on either theBradley or Abrams tanks for satcom on-the-move. The Army recently had 12vehicles built for satcom on-the-move,but all were held back because of weightproblems, Eidson said.

Dan Fraley, senior vice presidentand chief technical officer of HughesNetwork Systems, based in Rockville,Maryland, says the size problems ofantennas are the result of the applicationbeing in “the embryonic state.” Hugheshas tested about a half dozen antennatypes to work with its HX terminal groundequipment, which integrates fixed andmobile satcom. The antennas can befolded flat to avoid many of the sizeproblems and they are newly available,Fraley said.

But, Fraley says, the military willhave to trade some technical capabilitiesfor the new, smaller size. “The better theperformance you want, the bigger theantenna gets,” he said. “It may be that forsatcom on the move, they have tosacrifice bit rates for the smaller size.

Meeting the Military’s Requirements

One company that has been earnestly courting themilitary market is Westchester, Ill.-based AndrewCorporation. Having had success with its commercialearth station antennas, Andrew found that some of itsproducts can be configured military use. Andrew camein rather late into the military market, having onlypursued it about three years ago, according to JoePryzgoda, Andrew’s Product line Manager for Milsatcom. Andrew markets fixed, tactical and transportable antennas to the military market.

According to Pryzgoda, while some of its products to the military market are of thecommercial off the shelf (COTSs) type, the military has specific requirements thatare different from commercial customers. One of this is the wider temperatureranges where the antenna has to operate. The military requires antennas to operatein temperature ranging from -40 to +55 degrees C. Another requirement istransportability, so the antenna has to be compact and easily packed for rapiddeployment. They should also be of higher durability to withstand battlefieldconditions and be able to travel off-road. They should also be able to operate inharsh environments.

Andrew’s Milsatcom Nomadic Antenna

MILSATMAGAZINE.COM

17Back to Contents

July 2007

COVER STORY

MSM

Lisa Daniel is a journalist with specialties incovering the military and commercial satelliteindustries. A former senior writer with ArmyTimes News Service, she has covered allbranches of the U.S. military. As a freelancewriter, she has written about the military forTheBoston Globe and United Press International, Military.com and

various military association magazines. She has covered thesatellite industry for various publications and is the editor of TheOrbiter, the newsletter for the Society of Satellite ProfessionalsInternational at www.sspi.org. She can be reached [email protected].

“If they’re willing to compromise on the capabilities, this is thebest on the market,” Fraley said. “The last thing you want is to bevisible to the enemy. If you’re driving around in hostile territory, youdon’t want this big bubble on the back.”

The component of satcom on-the-move that seems to beworking best is the space component. In an effort to meet the demandfor bandwidth and to streamline military applications, Boeing Space andIntelligence Systems in August plans to launch the first of five satellitesthat will supply the Air Force and Army with service on the X-band andthe new Ka-band, also known as the “federal band.” The $1.3 billionsystem, known as Wideband Global Satcom, or WGS, will give users theunique ability to communicate between the two bands and will serve asan interim system toward implementation of TSAT.

Mark Spiwak, program director for WGS, called the system “agame-changer” for the military that will provide “significant flexibilitywith high-speed voice, video and data capability to prosecute the globalwar on terror. This first WGS satellite provides greater bandwidth andcapability than the current constellation of satellites it will eventuallyreplace.”

By using a more powerful satellite, Spiwak said, the military canuse smaller equipment on the ground.

If WGS is a success, it will lay the groundwork for the type offull-service communications package both the users and suppliers ofsatcom-on-the-move say is critical: an interoperable system thatprovides high transfer data rates through very small terminals that alsoallows for user autonomy. Only then will warfighters receive the fullbenefit of satcom-on-the-move.

http://www.avltech.com

MILSATMAGAZINE.COM

18Back to Contents

July 2007

COVER STORY

Virgil Labrador is the Managing Editor of Satnews Publishers. He isresponsible for all editorial activities worldwide. He edits the Dailysubscription service, Satnews Daily and the monthly e-magazine,SatMagazine and the quarterly, MilsatMagazine. He also managesthe web portal, Satnews.com. He is co-author of the book, HeavensFill With Commerce, a Brief History of the SatelliteCommunications Industry, for which he was nominated for theEugene Emme Science Literature award in 2005. He has worked in

various capacities in the satelite industry and holds a master’s in communciationsmanagement from the University of Southern California. He can be reached [email protected]

MSM

In the olden days, serving on a naval ship was a no frills type of job that provided the maximum amount of discomfort for

sailors that they had to be press-ganged into serving. But in thenew all-volunteer navy, the current leadership is out to providethe ordinary sailors with all the support they require to enablethem to fulfill their mission. This includes not only their militaryrequirements, but their needs in terms of their morale andpersonal development. This was the gist of the keynote addressby RADM Michael Bachmann,Commander, Space and Naval WarfareSystems Command of the US Navyduring the Military and GovernmentRequirements Forum at ISCe 2007 in SanDiego.

RADM Bachmann said that thebandwidth requirements of the US Navywill only continue to increase due to the demands of their sailorsfor communications and other applications on-board ship. Hesaid that the Navy has “ever increasing data rate requirementsneeded on all platforms.” The demand is not so much fortactical requirements which are already being met, but rather foryoung sailors whom he refers to as belonging to the “millenniumgeneration” who are used to broadband access for gaming andother applications and have needs such as keeping in touch withfamily and friends while on deployment, he added.

“The main demand pull for our increasing requirements are ouryoung 18- or 19-year old sailors,” said RADM Bachmann. Hesaid that for these young sailors being on a ship for extendedperiods of up to six months at sea, is almost like beingincarcerated. He also cited that some ships in the navy haveless communications bandwidth than some individual consumercell phones. While these might suffice forbasic operational communications, it certainlywill not be able to serve the broadband needsof sailors during their deployment.

Sailors need broadband access for theirpersonal communications needs and also fortheir career development through distancelearning courses. They need to pursuecontinuing education and

“ “

and obtain special training and pursuedegree courses.

With some surface ships of the Navylike nuclear-powered aircraft carriersoperating almost like little cities withover 5,500 personnel , completewith all the necessary recreational facilities like theaters and

athletic facilities, it is only logicalthat the provision of broadbandinternet access would follow.

Given the increasing demand forbandwidth in the Navy, RADMBachmann said that it will have torely on the commercial sector inorder to make up for the gap in the

Navy ‘s ability to provide for their requirements. “The Navy hasmany requirements that will require huge amonuts ofbandwidth,” he said.

“Our reliance on satellite communications will only continuallyincrease,” he said, “and can only be met with the help of thecommercial sector,” he added. He then emphasized the need tounderstand each other’s concerns and issues, manageexpectations and build a better partnership between thecommercial and military sectors.

by Virgil Labrador


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The true value of commercialsatellites have come to light inrecent years in the eyes of

defense space communicationsarchitects and planners for such keyprograms as the U.S. GlobalInformation Grid (GIG). Itsimmediate availability when defensesystems were delayed or over-subscribed has made it an intrinsiccomponent of a network-centricbattle space that is increasinglyadopting IP as a standard to matcha diverse set of systems (C-, Ku-, L-and X-band all play a part) andmissions.

The military has largely servedas a promoter of and an anchortenant in the development ofcommunications-on-the-move(COTM), the newest thrust in thebattle for ever more efficiencies andsupremacy in the air, at sea and onthe ground. But it has yet to beconfirmed through long-termcontracts for various reasons, suchas fears that funding may becurtailed or simply removed. It is nolonger questionable that satellitecommunications assets andinfrastructures to the modern armiesof the world have often beenoverlooked in their importance.There is not a single standardacross various countries, some areeither far advanced in theirhardware procurement while others

Commercial Satellites for

Fixed and Mobile Military

Communications

Claude RousseauAnalyst, Satellite Communications, NSR

have almost obsolete equipmentand systems or average gradequality material. This is certainly areflection of funding or longprocurement cycles that dictate therequirements for a twenty to thirtyyear window or the slowerdevelopment pace of equipment dueto stable requirements in times ofpeace.

In some cases, militaryrequirements stated a couple ofyears ago for a commercial productlaunched today no longer meet thebasic requirements of troops eitherdeployed or in exercise.Furthermore, the new breed ofsoldier and officers are more

technologically-savvy and expectbroadband in the field the way theycan have it a home.

So as the market advances, sodo the technologies and theproducts that go with it. But all isnot as simple as putting in aproposal to obtain the financing. Itis also a case of delivering the rightproduct in the hands of the warfighter at the right time at the rightplace. A story to illustrate this pointis the commercial X-band satellitesdeployed to meet the needs of themilitary in particular. The X-bandsatellite owned and operated by X-TAR LLC was built specifically toprovide coverage for the U.S.

35,000

30,000

25,000

20,000

15,000

10,000

5,000

--2003 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

Government & Military Next-Generation MobileSatellite Services Market, In-Service Units, by Band

L-bank

Ku-band

C-band

2004

Source, NSR

FEATURE


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Government and its allies mainly inEurope, the Middle-East and Africa.It was commissioned into servicetwo years after Operation IraqiFreedom had started, whichrequired extensive communicationslinks for all kinds of commercialcapabilities for non-critical andwelfare services to and from thetheater of operation.

It is no secret that L-Band(mobile and fixed) as well as C- andKu-band (fixed) commercialsatellites filled the gap. It proved tobe a strong growth factor for anindustry that was slowly coming outof a series of depressed years dueto overcapacity. Inmarsat forexample reportedly increased itsuptake of call-minutes from the U.S.Department of Defense (DoD) by40% between 2004 and 2005. Evenmore interesting is the amount ofbandwidth and revenues from theDoD for all commercial operators,which tripled since the beginning of2003.

On another front, NATO haspublicly stated that its Afghanistancampaign has increased itsbandwidth demand by a factor offive. And more recently, DoDofficials at a conference pointed toon an ongoing 3 to 5 Gbps shortfallin capacity from their proprietarysystems. In short, there is abountiful future for some commercialvendors and operators but a missedopportunity for others. Even if thefuture may look brighter and there isfunding for satellite communications,the fact remains that X-TAR founditself late in the market playingcatch-up with operators that lockedservice contracts with the militarywhen they caught the wave in 2003.

The drivers today are very

much pointing in the direction of anincreased pie size, and room for allis available. But at the ground level,more research and thus programsare needed to investigate anddevelop packages with leading-edgetechnology for more or betterthroughputs in harsh environmentsin smaller packages. Among the keydrivers are video for Blue ForceTracking, target avoidance,videoconferencing and multimediacontent delivery. This is leadingoperators to consider technologiessuch as spread spectrum, mobilespot beams (that change size,shape and location), smalllightweight rugged and high-powermulti-frequency terminals,miniaturized power packs,bandwidth optimization tools, anti-jamming and nulling antennas andsecured encrypted carrier channels.The engineers of the commercialsatellite industry are developingsophisticated solutions that fit ontoportable, transportable and mobileplatforms for deployment eitherregionally or globally.

In this general framework, whileconflicts erupt in various parts of theworld and the military is tasked withan ever increasing spectrum ofsupport missions for civiliangovernment, there is now a solidand lasting need for continuedcommunications access to satellitesfrom “anywhere” at “anytime”. Thisconnectivity has driven the evolutionof mobile satellite equipment to ahigher level.

These requirements mirror thedemand from war fighters for highly-portable mobile communicationstools that enable greatercommunication capability in varioussituations. It was probably theimpetus for the development of

Iridium small troops’ ExpeditionaryTactical Communications System(ETCS), which has a 3" by 5" flatdual antenna (Iridium/GPS) held inthe cover of the helmet for over-the-horizon communications up to 200miles. It has since evolved to makeuse of the handset as a networkedpush-to-talk function. The customerthat initially procured the ETCSnoted that Iridium was selectedbecause it was available and couldbe integrated very rapidly.

Another illustration of theinnovation that goes into eversmaller mobile packages is Norsat’sGlobetrekker, which providestransmission in Ku, Ku- extended, X-and Ka-band and can be dropped byparachute and installed withinminutes with a fully automated auto-acquire capability in a package thatweights less than 50 lbs.

Sometimes, a low data rate toolwill suffice, but far from beingcomplicated, the kits need to beeasy-to-use and lightweight fortransportation purposes. Thus, ascommercial mobile and fixedoperators are responding to themobile defense communicationsneeds with perhaps more C-, Ku-band and L-band offerings in theforeseeable future, additional X-band and Ka-band frequencies mayprove more nimble and flexible forbroadband highly mobile platformswith quick-deploy, smaller but morepowerful antenna.

To make this happen, it is notjust the technology that mustdevelop concrete mobileperspectives, but also the policies.Over the next few months andmaybe years, discussions on thefuture, the type and scope ofinterventions will take place that will

FEATURE


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affect these developments.For the industry to seelonger term COTM contractswith the US DoD and alliedarmies, this may prove to bea wait-and-see period whilethese issues are sorted out.

One thing is certain,and both sides recognize it.Commercial communicationssatellites are in the field forthe long-haul, first becausethey are readily availableand two, it provides theconnectivity with lowerpower terminals that issufficient for a variety ofnon-critical fieldapplications, many of themmobile. While the picture onthe ground may not becompletely clear as tostandards, stablerequirements as well asfunding, many parts of themilitary on land, in the airand at sea have plans touse commercial satellitecommunications systems forvoice, data, and video onthe move in the comingyears.

Claude Rousseau isAnalyst, SatelliteCommunications for NSR.He can be reached [email protected]

MSM

FEATURE

http://www.globalmilsatcom.com


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A row over funding Europe’sGalileo satellite navigationconstellation is semaphoring

the long unspoken reason for theproject: military independence.

After the companies in theGalileo consortium walked out onthe program – saying they did notbelieve they could make money fromthe system since the U.S. providesessentially the same service for freewith the U.S. Air Force’s GlobalPositioning System (GPS) – theEuropean Commission (EC)advocated that the program’sshortfall, 2.4 billion euros ($3.2), befunded with public money.

Everything seemed set tocontinue the fiction that Galileo is apurely civil system until the U.K. andthe Netherlands balked at paying fora duplicative satellite navigationsystem. Their argument is thatNATO uses GPS, which the U.S. AirForce is going to upgrade with theGPS III constellation, so why paypublic money for what wassupposed to be a commercialsystem. The crux of thedisagreement is that U.K. and Dutchofficials took the Galileo system’sjustification at face value, somethingother backers of the Galileo systemdid not do.

The real justification for Galileois military independence, seniorFrench government and industryofficials told MilsatMagazine. Theyadded that Galileo is necessary for

Galileo Comes Out Of the

Closet

By David Mulholland

Europe to remainat the cutting edgeof satellitenavigationtechnology, whichhas become amilitary technologyof criticalimportance. Manyof the advances inmilitary technologysince the end ofthe Cold War havebeen based onGPS. It is nowused innavigation,logistics,intelligence, targeting and weaponguidance. Like the internet or mobiletelephony, once you come to rely onit, you wonder how you eversurvived without it. Also, sincesatellite navigation has become partof the transport infrastructure,having one’s own system isreassuring.

The admission that Galileo is amilitary system was dropped withmore of a whimper than a bang,when EC Transport CommissionerJacques Barrot said in May thatGalileo will be “civilian controlled …but there will be military users.”While it was a bland statement, itmeant that the EC was now publiclyadmitting that at least part ofGalileo’s justification was military,something that the EC hasstudiously avoided saying until now.

Admitting the existence of amilitary aspect to Galileo opens thedoor to funding from Europeanministries of defense. Even withopposition from the U.K. and theNetherlands, there is speculationthat Galileo will proceed with as aproject that is more openly military.

Vive la France

The most ardent backer ofGalileo has been France, whichjealously guards its independenceand has long pushed for anindependent European militarycapability. The real concern is thatthe U.S. could turn off the GPSsignals in an area where aEuropean military force wasoperating against the will of the U.S.As one French executive noted, theU.S. stopped France and the U.K.from taking back the Suez Canal in

FEATURE

Galileo satellite about to be launched on a Soyuzrocket. (photo courtesy of the European Space Agency)


Back to Contents 23

1956 after it was nationalized by theEgyptian government. How mucheasier would it have been to do thatif the U.S. controlled the French andU.K.’s navigation, targetingand guidance systems.

The U.S. invasion ofIraq in the face ofwidespread opposition andthe subsequent childishFrench-bashing has onlyhardened the resolve ofmany Europeans to developand maintain anindependent capability. TheU.S. Congress’ symbolicgesture of renaming Frenchfries “freedom fries” just assour kraut was renamed“liberty cabbage” during theFirst World War did little toreassure Europeans that theU.S. would act rationally inthe future, especially sincethe U.S. was not at war withFrance as it had been withGermany.

There is also theconcern that the U.S. couldblackmail Europe by turningoff the Global PositioningSystem (GPS) constellationover Europe, although thatfear is given little credenceby most because if the U.S.turned off the GPS,Europeans could use thesystem that the Chinese aredeveloping in response totheir own concerns aboutsafe-guarding theirindependence of action.

Perhaps the mosttelling indication that Galileois a military system is thatEuropean defensecompanies developing andproducing precision-guidedmunitions have long planned

to have dual GPS and Galileoguidance.

One example of this is theTaurus KEPD 350 cruise missile that

is in production for the German AirForce and manufactured byTAURUS Systems GmbH, a jointventure between LFK and SaabBofors Dynamics AB.

FEATURE

http://www.advantech.com


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Failed business plan

The funding issue is critical.Industry has stopped work on theprogram on the basis that withoutgovernment funding for thedeployment of the 30-satelliteGalileo constellation the project isnot financially viable. The EC is nowpushing for European Uniongovernments to provide the fundingthis year to keep the Galileoprogram alive with an eye to makingit a government-run program ratherthan a public-private partnershipwhere industry pays for two-thirds.As Abba Eban said, “When all elsefails, men turn to reason.”

Originally, there was much talkabout Galileo having more precisionthan GPS, which could be useful fora number of applications, such asaircraft and ship navigation.However, executives have notedthat these are niche markets withpotential revenues far too small topay for the entire constellation.

For the military, Galileo will notbe appreciably more accurate thanGPS’ more precise military signal.This is especially true for GPS III,which will roll out only a few yearsafter Galileo.

Currently the program is in aplace-keeper state with theGalileo In-Orbit ValidationElement-A (GIOVE-A) andGIOVE-B satellites from SurreySatellite Technology Ltd., whichspecializes in small low-costsatellites, using the frequencyband to maintain their frequencyfiling. If they stop using it, theInternational TelecommunicationsUnion may revoke the license.

Where’s the Profit?

Galileo had been led byindustry under the direction of theEC and European Space Agency(ESA). The cherished fiction thatindustry would provide two-thirds ofthe money to develop and launchGalileo to reap distant and uncertainprofits has foundered. Like a rash ofEuropean projects in recent yearsthat have turned over to industryfunctions that have historically beenthe domain of government, this onetoo seems to be faltering on thelogic of industry. Executives at thecompanies involved in Galileo havesaid privately that they were beingasked to invest substantial sumsinto Galileo without a firm revenuemodel. Furthermore, even if therosiest assumption came true, theprofits would be many years in thefuture, long after the executivesmaking the decisions today haveretired.

The chief corporate players areEurope’s EADS, France’s ThalesAlenia Space, Italy’s Finmeccanica;Spain’s Aena and Hispasat, theU.K.’s Inmarsat, and a Germanalliance led by Deutsche Telekom.

FEATURE

The reason thata revenue model isso difficult is that theU.S. Air Forcecontrolled-GPSconstellation is freefor all to use. How,executives andobservers have longwondered, is Galileosupposed tocompete?

Even if civilusers couldsomehow be inducedto pay for what theyreceive for free from

the GPS, the signal would first needto be encrypted. But that encryptionwould be relatively easy to cracksince the GPS also the content ofthe signal – time and location – fromthe GPS. Cracking Galileoencryption would likely become ahacker hobby as, indeed, crackingthe encrypted signals from theGalileo prototype satellites became.

Governments Take Over

The EC recommended on May16 that governments finance theprogram themselves as it would becheaper than keeping the privatesector involved.

The commission estimates thatthe Galileo project will be able toreturn about 10 billion euros to thepublic sector from revenuesgenerated by Galileo by 2030. Butmost of these profits will come latein the program.

Continuing with the public-private partnership that has beenlauded since it started in the late1990s will cost up to 14 billioneuros, with the system unlikely to bein service before 2014. Afteraccounting for revenues through


Back to Contents 25

2030, the net cost to taxpayerswould be around 1.8 billion euros.

The original Galileo fundingmodel called for 1 billion euros ofpublic funding and 2.4 billion eurosof private funding to develop andlaunch the first and secondgeneration of satellites in return fora 20-year concession to run Galileofor profit.

There is little that the EC andthe ESA can do to force thecompanies to invest in the system ifthey deem it a money-losingproposition.

The EC is now proposing totake full control of Galileo and todelegate procurement oversight tothe ESA. The consortium memberswill be punished if this happens byhaving the remaining satellitesopened up to competitive bidding.That, however, is not much of athreat since the consortium alreadyhas all of Europe’s satellitemanufacturers. And since one of thegoals of the Galileo program is tosupport Europe’s space industry, it isinconceivable that the ESA wouldlook outside of Europe for thesatellites.

David Mulholland has covered military affairs for morethan a decade reporting on NASA and US Department ofDefense for New Technology Week, the USAF forDefense News, aviation and business for Jane’sDefence Weekly, and logistics as co-founder and editorof Military Logistics International. He can be reached [email protected].

FEATURE

Artist rendition of the Galileosatellite (image courtesy of EuropeanSpace Agency)

MSM

http://www.aaesys.com


Back to Contents 26

FEATURE

Transforming the future wasthe theme for the 19th National

Space Symposium held a fewyears ago. “The industry showed upin record numbers to hear from thenation’s space policy leaders andtalk together about transforming thefuture of space.” as reported by theSpace Foundation’s Spacewatch.The Transformational Communications Architecture (TCA)defines a long-term view fortransition, Internet Protocol (IP)driven net-centric operation; and theextension of local Warfighternetworks and the Global InformationGrid (GIG) to users without accessto terrestrial connectivity. It is awhole new architecture comprisingof terrestrial infrastructure, networkand management, terminals andspace segments to support our war-fighting efforts for the USintelligence, defense, and spaceagencies.

With a modernizedconstellation of five satellitesworldwide, a satellite operationselement (TSOE) for on-orbit control,TSAT Mission Operations Systems(TMOS) to provide networkmanagement, and GIG BorderElement (TGBE) as groundgateways, the TransformationalSatellite Communications (TSAT)

Escalating Complexities and

Costs in Space Programs –

By Wendy Lui

TSAT’s Strategies to Maximize

Performance and Capacity

to the unprecedented complexitiesbuilt into the system, over 1.7 billiondollars has already been funded forfiscal year 2007 and 2008 alone onthis ambitious program. It is slatedto be launched by the first quarter offiscal 2016 according to theDefenseNews.

Funding of Space Programs

In the US Department ofDefense’s (DoD) defense budgetestimates for FY2008 released this

serves as the space backbone of theTCA. TSAT is to deliver high datarates with crosslink and onboardnetwork routing capabilities usingboth radio frequency (RF) and lasercommunications for Space andAirborne Intelligence, Surveillanceand Reconnaissance (SISR, AISR),tactical communications on themove (COTM), and strategic users.New technologies will be makingmaiden voyage in space in addition

Space-Based Capabilities (Dollars in Billions)

Space Programs FY07 FY08 FY07/08

EELV Evolved Expendable Launch 0.9 1.2 +0.3

Vehicle

TSAT Transformational Satellite 0.7 1.1 +0.4

GPS Global Positioning System 0.6 0.9 +0.3

MUOS Mobile User Objective System 0.7 0.5 +0.1

AEHF Advanced EHF Satellite 0.6 0.6 ---

WGS Wided and Gapfiller System 0.4 0.3 --0.1

MLV Modular Launch Vehicles 0.2 0.1 --0.1


Back to Contents 27

FEATURE

February, the budget for spacebased programs has increased by1.2 billion from 4.8 billion dollars for2007. This 6 billion dollar budgetincludes the continuation ofprotected wideband MilitarySatellite Communications(MILSATCOM) systems suchas Advanced Extremely HighFrequency (AEHF), WidebandGlobal System (WGS), andTSAT. It also includes anynew and continued efforts onthe Global Positioning System(GPS). As the only satelliteglobal navigation system atpresent, GPS is faced with therevival of the RussianGLONASS, the introduction ofthe European Union Council’sGalileo, the Indian Regionalnavigation System (IRNSS)and the Chinese Compassnavigation Satellite System.

With the war on terrorand the quest to continue toimprove space-basedcapabilities, there is noquestion that all spaceprograms are undertremendous pressure toreduce costs while stillpromising to deliver all thefunctionalities and capabilitiesdesired. To realize a complexdevelopment such as theTSAT system, the challengereally is how to exploit newtechniques and emergingtechnologies in designs whichare suitable for operatingunder conditions andenvironments required. Hereare some of the manystrategies studied, employedand demonstrated tomaximize efficiency,performance and capability.

Maximize Throughput withDynamic ResourceAllocation

Unlike other traditionalMILSATCOM systems wherebandwidth is dedicated to each user,the TSAT is designed to

http://www.intelsatgeneral.com


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FEATURE

accommodate dynamic, uneven IP-like and packet switching traffic.Several users may simultaneouslyand seamlessly share the same pipeeffectively offering an “IP-Gain”.This maximizes the total usablebandwidth available at all timesyielding more bits per Hertz.

TSAT’s Next GenerationProcessor/Router (NGPR) alsoimplements a dynamic bandwidthand resource allocation (DBRA)technique which changes themodulation index, coding and datarate of the transmission whensudden changes of terminal signalare detected. Attenuation due torain, clouds and any form ofobstruction is particularly apparentat high frequency bands andtherefore reducing link availabilitywhich may make transmissioninadequate for quality desired.Ability to adaptively adjust waveformand transmission data rate isdesirable as change in environmentand link conditions is inevitable.With DBRA, link margin reserved forweather can now be used to sendthe voice, data and video at a higherdata rate whenever channelconditions permits.

Use of Bandwidth andPower Efficient ModulationModes

The TSAT system supports RFEnhanced Extended Data rates(XDR+) at least up to 45 Mbps.Each TSAT satellite is to deliverseveral times the capacity of anAEHF satellite. It is required toserve thousands of terminalsranging from small COTMs topowerful teleports simultaneouslyusing the limited EHF/SHFspectrum. Bandwidth efficient andpower efficient signaling techniquesare necessary to meet thesechallenges. The adaptive featurealong with DBRA makes possiblethe use of a more bandwidthefficient modulation wheneverenvironment and link conditionsallow, and use of a more powerefficient modulation wheneverbandwidth is available; therebyimproving power and spectralefficiencies.

Coded Waveform forEfficient Signaling

MILSATCOM systems usefrequency hopping to provide

protection from hostile jamming forlow probability of intercept and lowprobably of detection. The TSATsystem takes advantage of elaborateiterative coding schemes to attainthe level of protection needed whilestill using power and bandwidthresources efficiently. Turbodecoding has been developed in theearly 90’s by the educational andscientific sectors, more recentstudies on trade offs betweenperformance and complexities havedemonstrated great success.

Serial Concatenated Coding(SCCC) can contribute as much as 4dB coding gain or 2.5 times powersavings than using a convolutionalcoding with Viterbi decodingscheme. This means higher datarate is achievable for the users withthe same power or provides betterperformance under the presence ofsome interfering burstyenvironments such as jamming.This benefit is realized at the cost ofincreased complexity.

In MilCom 2006, an innovativealgorithm was introduced byLinQuest in an effort to reduce thecomplexity of the decoding devicefor any applications using SCCC in

Modeling and Simulation - Notional illustration


Back to Contents 29

FEATURE

a field programmable gate array(FPGA) or application specificintegrated circuit (ASIC)implementation. Funded by the DoDAir Force’s Small BusinessInnovation Research Program(SBIR), prototypes have beenconstructed with ongoing testing toverify the integrity of performance.In addition, performance underradiation and scintillationenvironments is also being studiedto assess the potential for spaceapplications. This could bepromising in reducing weight, powerand costs for both satellite payloadand ground terminals.

Laser Communications forHigh Data RateTransmissions

The TSAT portion of the TCAwill incorporate lasercommunications (Lasercom) links attens of Giga bits per second to meetdefense and intelligence communityrequirements for high data rate,protected, assured, scintillationsurvivable communications.Although the optical technologiesused for high data rate lasercommunications were developedover twenty years ago, there iscurrently no Satcom based system,adequately meeting spacestandards, in operation.

As the beam width of an opticalterminal is extremely small, thechallenge is to scan intelligently,point with great precision, ,andmaintain tracking to lock on to andcommunicate with a travelingterminal subject to atmosphericturbulence. As a risk reductionmeasure, several increments oftesting have already beenconducted by the Lockheed Martinand Northrop Grumman TSAT team

About LinQuest Corporation

LinQuest with heritage that goes back to 1974 provides clientscomprehensive network and communications engineeringdevelopment, integration, and deployment along with advanced trainingand support. Recognized as a leader in providing precise, clear, in-depth, informed and innovative solutions to engineering development,deployment and operation of state-of-the-art network andcommunications systems, LinQuest is headquartered in Los Angeleswith nine other locations throughout the US.

and the Boeing TSAT team todemonstrate technology maturity,systems engineering andintegration. Lockheed Martin SpaceSystems serves as the primecontractor while Northrop Grummanis responsible for thecommunications payload, includinglaser and RF communications andon-board processing. Boeing, aprime contractor, has teamed upwith Ball Aerospace andTechnologies Corporation on theLasercom effort.

Modeling and Simulation tohelp with Design Trades

The process of establishing

comprehend. End-to-end modelsare frequently utilized throughoutthe development phase to simulatethe multitude of effects of encoding,interleaving, modulation, jamming,fading and such to estimate linkperformance. With fast computerprocessing power, software basedmodels can be constructed quitequickly to perform simulations downto the bit level mimicking Mega bitsof data going through the variousstages of the system subject toeffects and characteristics of thechannel. Modeling and simulationsdo offer low cost and immediatesolutions to better understand manydesign trades and risk reductionsconcerns.

transmission,allocating resourcedynamically, andchanging terminallocations andantenna coverageareas under variousoperating conditionswhile needing tomaintain thedesirableperformance foracceptable signalquality is a complexproblem. Theexpectation iscertainly difficult to


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FEATURE

Wendy Lui works forLinquest Corporation. Priorto this, she was senior vicepresident marketing andfounding member of PacificCentury Matrix. She alsoserved as vice president forPacific Century Group,director for Worldspace,regional manager for AsiaSatand engineer for Hughes.She has a MSEE and a BSEEfrom the Univ of Southern Cali-. She may befornia. She can be reached at:[email protected]

MSM

Conclusion

Although radically different fromearlier systems such as Milstar andAEHF, TSAT assuresinteroperability with circuitbased operations and alsoproviding Internet-like reliable,secure, and protectedconnectivity with not only RFbut laser communicationscapabilities. Gigabits of datawith IP routing free ofterrestrial landlinedependency are to be realizedwithin the next decadebridging satellites, space andairborne vehicles, largeteleports and smallcommunications on the movemobile platforms. Significantprogress and success havealready been realized anddemonstrated with thedevelopment of nextgeneration processors androuters, lasercom, coded

waveforms, and clever powerefficient and bandwidth maximizingtechniques. Many technical andprogrammatic challenges still remain

needing continued support to realizethis crucial space backbone of theTransformational CommunicationsArchitecture.

http://www.comtechefdata.com

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July 2007

CASE STUDY

Rebuilding Afghanistan's CommunicationsInfrastructureby Virgil Labrador

No matter how you slice it, war is a nasty affair. Butsometimes it maybe necessary to effect positive changes in

a society. One country that has had its share of the destructiveeffects of war over the centuries is the landlocked Central Asiancountry of Afghanistan. Just in the last 20 years it has beeninvaded by the former Soviet Union, then overrun by theTaliban, embroiled in a bloody civil war and then came OperationEnduring Freedom after theSeptember 11 attacks on theWorld Trade Center. Theendless conflicts has leftthe country impoverishedand devastated.

To rebuild the country’stelecommunicationsinfrastructure, the WorldBank issued a request forproposal in 2003 toconstruct a GovernmentCommunications Network(GCN) for Afghanistan’sMinistry ofCommunications. The goalwas to providevoice and dataservices toministries andgovernmentoffices in Kabul,Afghanistan’scapital, and toprovincial capitals.

The winningbidder wasHauppauge, NewYork-based Globecomm Systems. “The environment is about aschallenging as it gets,” said Globecomm vice president PaulKnudson, who managed the Afghanistan project. “OutsideKabul, there is little or no infrastructure, no roads and noelectricity. Security is a continuing concern. We have had tounload trucks in the middle of nowhere, hand-carry electronicsacross a stream, then get the truck across and reload it.”

To make matters more complicated, no sooner had the projectbeen awarded than it began to change. Globecomm discoveredthat the Ministry of Communications had, under a separatecontract, purchased CDMA mobile switches from a Chinesecompany. They were providing local mobile service in “telecomislands” but had no outside connections. Interconnecting theswitches and linking them to long-distance circuits became anunexpected priority.

“It was a fundamentalchange,” said Globecommvice president Paul Johnson,who is the accountexecutive for Afghanistan.“What we originally plannedto be a private networkrapidlybecame a public network.We are, in effect, thebackbone for a publictelephone system, providingbandwidth, trunking,bringing traffic back toKabul and providinginternational voice, video

and Internetservice. That’s inaddition tomeeting thegovernment’surgent need forconnectivity.”

Anotherimportant changeinvolved theidentity ofGlobecomm’s

client. Globecomm developed each project under themanagement of the Ministry of Communications. But when theMinistry accepts systems upon completion, the assets aretransferred to Afghan Telecom. “The goal is to make the Ministrya true regulatory body,” said Knudson, “while Afghan Telbecomes the operator. With each new network, Afghan Tel gainsassets and increased value that improve its ability to attractoutside investment.”

“We are in the age of information and Afghanistan should be part of theinformation society. Information technology should be a part of everydaylife in Afghanistan…the Afghan people as a whole will continue to benefitfrom these accomplishments, which provide Afghanistan with thecommunications infrastructure necessary for economic and politicalgrowth.”- Eng. Amirzai Sangin, Minister of Communications and InformationTechnology, Islamic Republic of Afghanistan.

MILSATMAGAZINE.COM

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July 2007

CASE STUDY

Multiple Projects

The IP-based Government Communications Network links 42ministries and offices in Kabul via fiber and microwave, andextends this core network to 34 provincial capitals via satellite.Satellite bandwidth also links dozens of CDMA mobile switchesin the provinces with Globecomm’s Sat- Cell hosted switchingsystem in the United States. All calls taking place within thefootprint of each CDMA switch remain local, while calls betweenthe switches or outside Afghanistan are routed throughGlobecomm’s Network Operations Center.

The GCN turned out to be the first of multiple projects awardedto Globecomm by Afghanistan’s government. Next came theDistrict Communications Network (DCN), funded by US AID,which aimed to push service into rural areas. Globecomdesigned, installed and commissioned a satellite networkconnecting a hub in Kabul to police, fire and other essentialservices in each of Afghanistan’s 337 legislative districts toprovide voice and thin-route data as well as Internet access.Demand for the DCN has been tremendous, and Globecomm isworking with Afghan Tel to expand the business plan and bringmore revenue into the network.

IP-Based Platforms

An international gateway for voice, data and video, funded bythe Afghan Reconstruction Trust Fund (ARTF), came next. TheMinistry originally specified a DCME network, the standardtechnology, but accepted Globecomm’s recommendation for anIP platform that was both less expensive and far more flexible. Inaddition to gateway service for Afghanistan, the ARFT alsoprovides a backup satellite facility for the GCN.

In two other projects, Globecomm has installed PABX switchesat National Army bases throughout the country and integratedthem into an existing VSAT network, and also provided acustom-designed satellite truck to the Ministry for mobilespectrum monitoring. With so much of the nation’stelecommunications depending on satellite, the truck will allowthe Ministry to more effectively regulate spectrum, issue licensesand shut down illegal operators.

Much of the credit for Globecomm’s success can be attributed toits Afghan partner, Watan Telecom, and its Chairman and CEO,Mr. Rateb Popal. “Mr. Popal worked with us early on to ensurethat resources were in place to train the people needed to carryout the installation and commissioning of the work. Together, wehave built the capacity of the Afghan workers and transferred agreat deal of technology ‘know how.’ We now have Afghantechnicians supporting the programs as they move from

deployment tooperations andmaintenance,” saidGlobecomm’s CEO DavidHershberg.

Lessons Learned

There were severallessons learned in theAfghanistancommunications networkproject. One is thatGlobecomm’s work inproviding a satellitebackbone was essentialto the initialreconstruction efforts inAfghanistan. It againproved that “a little bit ofsatellite goes a longway.” This was madeclear when the nation’sMinister ofCommunications, AmirzaiSangin commented thatthe capability of the newsatellite-centric networkenabled telephone,Internet andvideoconferencingservices to be available,and widely-used forpeaceful purposes andeconomic growth for thefirst time. AfghanPresident Hamid Karzaihas become a keen userof satellite technologyand uses the broadbandinfrastructure tocommunicate with theprovinces via videoconferences. This isespecially importantduring times of anti-government activities.

The government alsorealized that attempt is

http://www.satnews.com/mobile

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July 2007

Virgil Labrador is the Managing Editor of Satnews Publishers. He isresponsible for all editorial activities worldwide. He edits the Dailysubscription service, Satnews Daily and the monthly e-magazine,SatMagazine and the quarterly, MilsatMagazine. He also managesthe web portal, Satnews.com. He is co-author of the book, HeavensFill With Commerce, a Brief History of the SatelliteCommunications Industry, for which he was nominated for theEugene Emme Science Literature award in 2005. He has worked in

various capacities in the satelite industry and holds a master’s in communciationsmanagement from the University of Southern California. He can be reached [email protected]

CASE STUDY

to become an “intelligent community,” said Johnson.

“Among the organizational lessons learned was the needto be extremely flexible on the ground. The governmentwas new, and satellite was not something that the nationhad experience with in the past,” said Globecomm’s CEODavid Hershberg. This resulted in a lack of engineers.To overcome this, a project manager hired by World Bankbecome the key technical individual and an extensivetraining program provided by Globecomm to the Afghanemployees who were eager to learn and operate their new21st Century network for the fledging start-upAfghanistan Telephone Company (AFTEL). Thesuccessful deployment and commissioning of theequipment to the provinces was through a localcontractor, who was well respected and recognizedthroughout Afghanistan. The work has since beentransitioned as part of a strategic alliance with AFTEL tofurther strengthen their technical resources and supportof the network. AFTEL has now taken over the networkand is performing with growing efficiency.

Already the reconstruction of Afghanistan’s communicationsinfrastructure is reaping dramatic results. There are currentlyover 1.6 million cell phone subscribers in Afghanistan– and thisnumber is expected to double over the course of the next threeyears, after having achieved 4.8% penetration of the country injust the last three years. In addition:

• 110 out of 365 of Afghanistan’s districts are nowconnected by phone, fax and internet access throughthe District Communications Network (DCN) – theUSAID-funded VSAT-based network that willeventually link all 360 districts with Kabul and theworld. 200 DCN nodes were operational by the end of2006.

• Approximately 30,000 jobs have been created by thegrowth in the telecom sector.

• the Government of Afghanistan’stelecom industry revenues rose fromless than $20,000 in 2002 to over

$ 66 million in 2006.

Eng. Amirzai Sangin, Minister ofCommunications and Information Technology, Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, probablysummed it up best: “We are in the age of information and Afghanistan should be partof the information society. Information

Eng. Amirzai Sangin, Minister of Communications ofAfghanistan receiving the Intelligent CommunityForum’s “Visionary of the Year” award in behalf ofthe Afghan Ministry of Communications forsuccessfully implementing a turnkey voice and datainfrastructure in record time. (photo courtesy ofIntelligent Communitiy Forum).

technology should be a part of everyday life inAfghanistan…the Afghan people as a whole will continue tobenefit from these accomplishments, which provide Afghanistanwith the communications infrastructure necessary for economicand political growth.”

Sometimes out of the ravages of conflict, new infrastructuresbring renewed promise and hope. MSM


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SPOTLIGHT INTERVIEW

Interview with Maj. Gen.

James Armor, Jr.

At the recent ISCe Conference and Expo last June 8, Maj. Gen.James Armor, Jr., Director of the National Security Space Office(NSSO), Office of the Under Secretary of the Air Force spoke with

MilsatMagazine Managing Editor Virgil Labrador. The NSSO isresponsible for creating strategic focus and unity of effort across NationalSecurity Space to advance US space power. In a candid interview, Maj.Gen. Armor spoke on the US’ priorities in satellite communications andhow industry and government can improve their partnership, among otherissues. Excerpts of the interview:

“...Space is cool. But more than, space isa vital national asset that needs to becherished and taken cared of andprospered. Our economy depends onspace...”

Maj. Gen. James Armor, Jr.empahsizing a point at the recentISCe Conference in San Diegowhere he was one of the keynotespeakers.

Q. For the benefit of our readers,can you give a brief description ofthe National Security Space Office’smission?

A. Certainly, The National SecuritySpace Office is the staff officesupporting the Department ofDefense (DoD) executive agent forSpace, which is currently theUndersecretary for the Air Force.We are the focal point forDepartment’s Space activities.I support the Undersecretaryin Space Policy, InternationalRelations, in working with theindustry and representing himin interagency Space workinggroups. We also work withconcerned agencies on theSpace budget cycle annuallyand on space program acquisitionand oversight issues.

We also maintain a number of spacearchitectures including the one for satel-lite called Transformational Communica-tions Architecture (TCA), and another for Position, Navigation andTiming (PNT) and we are startingone for Integrated Surveillance andReconnaissance.

Q. What influence does your officehave in the procurement of satellite communicationsservices?

A. It’s only a moral authority(laughs)- and I’m stretching the pointthere. When we build anarchitecture like the one for satellitecommunications-TCA, we do nothave the title 10 authority to procure

services--that resides in therespective government agenciesconcerned. However, when we builda common architecture, we facilitatethe process so that all the branchesinvolved are on the same page interms of the budget and a commonspecs and standards. The processis not perfect, and we can’t shoutorders for everyone to comply butwe do our best to work things out.

Q. How important is satellitecommunications to the US’ overalldefense strategy?

A. It’s very important. Every year wedo an annual National Security

Space Plan that lays out guidancefor the budget, and invariablysatellite communications is listedas number one in priority. Satellitecommunications is a critical part ofthe military infrastructure from thevery highest level --the President andCommander and in Chief--to thelowest level of the warfighter in thefield.

Q. What do you think should be thepriorities of the satellite program ofthe US military?

A. One area where we have hadimprovement is the area ofprotection. As you know, there aresome “bad actors” in the world thatwill do nefarious things such as jamsatellite signals for their own


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SPOTLIGHT INTERVIEW

MSM

recently tested an anti-satellite weaponon one of their own satellites?

A. Yes, I do consider this a top priorityand we are already taking action. Wehave regular sessions with satellitecommunications CEOs, together withthe Joint Space Operations Center out ofVandenberg Air Force Base in California.The purpose is to sort of share notes andwe’ve given them briefings to the extentthat we can share it, on possible threatsthat they may face and we’ve given themthe right phone numbers and even secureproprietary phones in case they everhave a problem. We’re trying to build aworkable relationship and that’s goingpretty well so far.

Q. You mentioned some preliminaryresults of a study you did on the spaceindustry during your luncheon speechtoday. Can you highlight some of yourfindings?

A. Certainly. We found that thegovernment lacks insight on the spacesupply chain. There are many workforceissues—such as the lack of experiencedand trained people and the supply base isbeing eroded domestically due tooutsourcing and other factors.

How can the partnership between thecommercial sector and the governmentbe improved?

A. It is already a very strong partnership.I would hope that we would continue toincrementally improve that partnership atevery level. As the government, we needto become better customers. We needto understand the market constraints of

the commercial satcom sector so that wecan ask for the right things that don’tundermine a commercial company’smarket position. We are not good atdoing that yet. I’m convinced we canincrementally be better at that.We also need to leverage what thecommercial sector brings to the table interms of new technologies and newtechniques.

Q. Any final thoughts?

A. Space is cool. But more than that, spaceis a vital national asset that needs to becherished and taken cared of andprospered. Our economy depends onspace. Space is important to the world, itis critical and it is not possible to statehow important space is to the nation.

purposes. It would be helpful foreverybody both the industry and themilitary to have space situationalawareness to be able to find, locateand take action on such threats.

Q. So do you consider this a toppriority considering the Chinese

http://www.idirect.net


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BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES

Project: Space Based Infrared System (SBIRS)Production of one additional Geosynchronous

Earth Orbit (GEO 3), two additional Highly EarthOrbit (HEO) Payloads (HEO 3&4), and an option

for an additional GEO 4

Posted Date: Jun 21, 2007 Contracting Office Address

Department of the Air Force, Air Force Space Command, SMC- Space and Missile Systems Center, 483 North Aviation Blvd,El Segundo, CA, 90245-2808, UNITED STATES

Description

Notice of Proposed Contract Action (NOCA)

The Space Based Infrared Systems (SBIRS) Program Officeintends to issue a contract for the production of one (1)additional SBIRS Geosynchronous Earth Orbit (GEO) satellite(GEO 3) and two (2) additional Highly Elliptical Orbit (HEO)payloads (HEO 3&4). An option will be included for anadditional Geosynchronous Earth Orbit (GEO) satellite (GEO4). GEO 3 (and GEO 4 if exercised) and HEO 3&4 areanticipated to be derivatives of the existing designs developedunder the SBIRS Engineering and Manufacturing Development(EMD) contract with minimal modifications. GEO 3 (andGEO 4 if exercised) is intended to continue deployment of thefull SBIRS High constellation. HEO 3&4 are planned asreplenishments for the first two HEO payloads. The new GEOsatellite and HEO payloads must integrate with the existingground operations and maintenance support infrastructure withminimal changes.

The SBIRS program office anticipates releasing the solesource RFP in July 2007 with a contract award in January2008 (See numbered note 22). It has been determined thatLockheed Martin is the only responsible source and no othersupplies or services will satisfy our requirements. Thecontract type will be cost-plus award fee and cost plusincentive fee. The intended contractor is Lockheed MartinSpace Systems Company (LMSSC), 1111 Lockheed MartinWay, Sunnyvale, CA 94089-1212.

The SBIRS Program Office has contracted with LMSSC overthe last 11 years and they possess the required data andprototypes necessary to produce the items described above.LMSSC has the capability to fulfill this contract without theSBIRS Program Office having to expend significant funds onanother contractor to reach the equivalent capability.Contractors interested in subcontracting opportunities shouldcontract LMSSC directly. The NAICS code is 336414 (sizestandard: 1,000 employees).

The technical point of contact is Lt Col Richard Pierce,Program Manager, (310) 653-4421 or email:

[email protected]

The contracting points of contacts are:

Gregory S. Brown, Contracting Officer, (310) 653-3489 oremail:

[email protected]

Shanika Richardson, Contract Negotiator, (310) 653-4502or email: [email protected]

Point of Contact

Shanika Richardson, Contracting Specialist, Phone 310-653-4502, Email [email protected]

Project: Global Positioning System (GPS) Block IIIRFP Release

Posted Date: Apr 05, 2007Contracting Office Address

Department of the Air Force, Air Force Space Command,SMC - Space and Missiles System Center, 483 NorthAviation Blvd, El Segundo, CA, 90245-2808, UNITEDSTATES

Description

The Global Systems Positioning Wing will post the finalRequest for Proposal number FA8807-06-R-0001 for theGPS IIIA Space Vehicle to the GPS Bidder?s Library on 19April 2007. The Navstar GPS is a satellite-based radionavigation system that serves military and civil usersworldwide. GPS IIIA will maintain constellation sustainment,provide existing capabilities, plus introduction of a new L1Ccivil signal, increased earth coverage M-code power forauthorized military users, a graceful growth path to achievefull CDD threshold requirements, and continuing support forthe NDS mission, to serve the evolving needs of GPSmilitary and civil users. GPS IIIA is an AcquisitionCategory 1D program. The GPS must comply with 10United States Code (USC) ? 2281 that requires that theSecretary of Defense ensure the continued sustainment andoperation of GPS for military and civilian purposes and 42USC ? 14712 and comply with certain standards andfacilitates international cooperation. This acquisition effortexecutes these statutory mandates.

Original Point of Contact

Felicia Brown, Contract Specialist, Phone (310) 653-3756,Fax null, Email [email protected] - AndrewMitchell, Contract Specialist, Phone 310-653-3882, Fax null,Email [email protected]

Current Point of Contact

Felicia Brown, Contract Specialist, Phone (310) 653-3756,Fax null, Email [email protected] - AlanMak, Contracting Officer, Phone (310) 363-1741, Fax null,Email [email protected]

Follows are listings of contracting opportunities with U.S.Federal Government as posted on the Federal BusinessOpportunities website. In future issues we will alsofeature other opportunities worldwide.


Back to Contents 37


able to be brought on the GlobalStar network (brandname or equal to) using this airtime upon receipt of theMCM 4Ms. Airtime is exhausted when the modems useup the time. Monthly billing statements to the MCM 4Moriginal purchaser is required. Airtime usage should beable to be provided with a phone call to TechnicalSupport. Airtime minutes will not expire according to acalendar date, but will expire when used on theGlobalStar network (brand name or equal to). Alsoincluded will be any applicable one-time USF fees.

QTY: 32 modemsPeriod of Performance: 12 months

CLIN 00003 16.8K airtime minutes per modem between 2TISCOM (USCG?s Telecommunications & InformationSystems Command) Lab MCM 4M data units, which consistof 4, 9.6 Kbps modem cards, for a total of 8 modems. MCM4M units must be able to be brought on the GlobalStarnetwork (brand name or equal to) using this airtime uponreceipt of the MCM 4Ms. Airtime is exhausted when themodems use up the time. Monthly billing statements tothe MCM 4M original purchaser is required. Airtime usageshould be able to be provided with a phone call to TechnicalSupport. Airtime minutes will not expire according to acalendar date, but will expire when used on the GlobalStarnetwork (brand name or equal to). Also included will beany applicable one-time USF fees.


CLIN 00004 Shipping.

CLIN 00005 Technical support availability for the equipmentshall be M-F 8:00am to 5:00pm EDT. Trouble ticket ortechnical support ?call backs? shall not exceed 2 hoursfrom initial ticket or trouble call submission. Gross failureof GlobalStar equipment (brand name or equal to) mayrequire a technical support visit to the TISCOM testlaboratory, otherwise technical support can be done viatelephone or email.

Period of Performance: 12 months

OPTIONAL CLIN 10002 48K airtime minutes per modembetween 8 MCM 4M data units, which consist of 4, 9.6 Kbpsmodem cards, for a total of 32 modems. MCM 4M unitsmust be able to be brought on the GlobalStar network(brand name or equal to) using this airtime upon receipt ofthe MCM 4Ms. Airtime is exhausted when the modems useup the time. Monthly billing statements to the MCM 4Moriginal purchaser is required. Airtime usage should beable to be provided with a phone call to Technical Support.Airtime minutes will not expire according to a calendar date,but will expire when used on the GlobalStar network (brandname or equal to). Also included will be any applicableone-time USF fees.


OPTIONAL CLIN 10003 16.8K airtime minutes per modembetween 2 TISCOM (USCG’s Telecommunications &

Project: Satellite Imagery at Various Locations

Posted Date: Jun 21, 2007

Contracting Office Address

Department of Homeland Security, United States CoastGuard (USCG), Commandant (G-ACS), U.S. Coast GuardHeadquarters, 2100 Second St., SW, Washington, DC,20593-0001, UNITED STATES

Description

This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercialitems prepared in accordance with the format in FARSubpart 12.6, in conjunction with FAR 13.5, assupplemented with additional information included in thisnotice. This announcement constitutes the onlysolicitation; proposals are being requested and a writtensolicitation will not be issued. The solicitation number isHSCG23-07-R-TE4197 and is issued as a request forproposal (RFP). The solicitation document and incorporatedprovision and clauses are those in effect through FederalAcquisitions Circular FAC 05-16. The North AmericanIndustrial Classification System (NAICS) code for thisprocurement is 517410.

The objective is to purchase GlobalStar equipment (brandname or equal to) and airtime service packages forprototyping the habitability onboard a United States CoastGuard (USCG) cutter and ensuring that the GlobalStarspatial and terrestrial networks (brand name or equal to) cansupport USCG networking needs.

The USCG requires the following line item numbers (CLINS)for a testing period of twelve (12) months with a six monthoption based on network architecture issues.

CLIN 00001 10 GlobalStar (brand name or equal to, withsalient characteristics) MCM 4M data units. Warrantyperiod to commence after the MCM 4M data units areactivated on the GlobalStar network (brand name or equalto). Units shall include free firmware or softwareupgrades. GlobalStar MCM 4M data units (brand name orequal to) will be peers to a software bonding server withinthe provider shore based network. The GlobalStar MCM4M data units (brand name or equal to) send de-multiplexedsignaling through the RF spectrum. A bonding serverlocated within the provider earth station teleport thenmultiplexes the signaling converting to IP which is then senton to either the Internet or a customer provided T-1.

QTY: 10 data units

CLIN 00002 48K airtime minutes per modem between 8MCM 4M data units, which consist of 4, 9.6 Kbps modemcards, for a total of 32 modems. MCM 4M units must be


Back to Contents 38


Information Systems Command) Lab MCM 4M data units,which consist of 4, 9.6 Kbps modem cards, for a total of8 modems. MCM 4M units must be able to be brought onthe GlobalStar network (brand name or equal to) usingthis airtime upon receipt of the MCM 4Ms. Airtime isexhausted when the modems use up the time. Monthlybilling statements to the MCM 4M original purchaser isrequired. Airtime usage should be able to be provided witha phone call to Technical Support. Airtime minutes will notexpire according to a calendar date, but will expire whenused on the GlobalStar network (brand name or equal to). Also included will be any applicable one-time USF fees.


OPTIONAL CLIN 10005 Technical support availability forthe equipment shall be M-F 8:00am to 5:00pm EDT. Trouble ticket or technical support call backs shall notexceed 2 hours from initial ticket or trouble callsubmission. Gross failure of GlobalStar equipment (brandname or equal to) may require a technical support visit tothe TISCOM test laboratory, otherwise technical supportcan be done via telephone or email.

Period of Performance: 6 months

The Contractor shall furnish all labor and materialsnecessary to deliver the required items. TheGovernment will be responsible for installation andarchitecture of government equipment to use theGlobalStar network (brand name or equal to), but mayrequire technical assistance from GlobalStar technicalrepresentatives (brand name or equal to) via telephone oremail. The Government will be responsible fordownloading any patches, software or firmware upgradeswhich are available for the MCM 4M units.

Inspection and acceptance are FOB destination.

Point of Contact

Todd Blose, Purchasing Agent, Phone 202-475-3205,Fax 202-475-3904, Email [email protected] - EricMcDoniel, Contracting Officer, Phone 202-475-3209, Fax202-475-3905, Email [email protected]

Place of Performance

Address: USCG/TISCOM 7323 Telgraph Road Alexandria,VAPostal Code: 22315-3940Country: UNITED STATES

Project: Satellite and Line of SightCommunication Capability

Posted Date: Jun 25, 2007Contracting Office Address

P.O. Box 190022, North Charleston SC 29419-9022

Description

SPAWARSYSCEN Charleston intends to issue acommercial contract on a sole source basis to HarrisCorporation, 1680 University Ave, Rochester, NY14610. This procurement is for the purchase ofsupplies as listed below that are required by theGovernment to provide vital Satellite and Line of SightCommunication capability. Harris Corporation is themanufacturer and has the proprietary rights to thedesign. The Contractor shall provide 16 each of theTacmobile transit case, Multi-band power amplifier, RF-5051 green power supply, M-VAU kit speaker, and RF-5055 to VAU cable assembly. A Firm Fixed Price typecontract is anticipated. The applicable North AmericanIndustry Classification System (NAICS) Code is334220 and the size standard is 750 employees. Anyquestions relating to this announcement are due 5days from the date this notice is published. POC isJanet Maldonado, Code 026MJ, telephone (843) 218-5528; fax (843) 218-5947; or e-mail [email protected]. Reference NOTE 22.

Point of ContactPoint of Contact - JANET MALDONADO, ContractSpecialist, 843-218-5528; Joanne Banks, ContractingOfficer, 843-218-5953Email your questions to Contract Specialist [email protected]

Project: Technical Support, Systems Engineering and Engineering Services

Posted Date: Apr 11, 2007 Contracting Office Address

Department of Commerce, National Oceanic andAtmospheric Administration (NOAA), Acquisition andGrants Office, SSMC4 - Room 7601/OFA61 1305 EastWest Highway, 7th Floor, Silver Spring, MD, 20910,UNITED STATES

Description

The U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC), NationalOceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),Acquisition and Grants Office intends to issue a Requestfor Proposal (RFP) for the acquisition of TechnicalSupport, Systems Engineering and EngineeringServices.This acquisition will be conducted as a partialsmall business set-a-side utilizing the procedures outlinedin Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) Part 15, andFAR Part 19. The North America Industry ClassificationSystems (NAICS) code is 541611 with a Size Standardof $6.5M.

The successful Contractor shall provide all necessarypersonnel, material, and services to provide technicalsupport, systems engineering and engineering servicesfor two major components of the NESDIS satellitesystems: (1) The Space Systems which consist of polarand GEO-stationary satellites/spacecrafts and (2) theGround Systems which consists of a Command, Controland Communications Segment (C3S) and the InterfaceData Processing Segment (IDPS). The effort required


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by this acquisition includes for technical support,systems engineering and engineering services toinclude the resolution of space and ground systemsissues as well as the preparation of plans, briefings,and documents in the areas of strategic planning;design/requirement analysis; systems engineeringprocesses and procedures; program advocacy; datamanagement; contract administration; and, acquisitionsupport.

The Government reserves the right to award two or morecontracts, one for technical support services as a SmallBusiness Set-Aside and one for systems engineering andengineering support under full and open competition. Small business may submit its response to both, thetechnical support services requirement as well as thesystems engineering and engineering services portion ofthis solicitation. The Government anticipates the awardof Indefinite Quantity, Indefinite Delivery contracts withTask Orders issued on a firm-fixed price or cost-plus-fixed-fee basis. The resultant contracts shall be for aperiod of one year commencing on or about August 1,2007 and will include four 12-month option periods. Forinformational purposes, the Government estimates theannual level of effort for this acquisition is approximately134,719 labor hours. The small business portion of thisacquisition is estimated at 83,527 labor hours. Under fulland open competition the estimated number of laborhours is 51,192.

The solicitation for this acquisition will be posted to theFederal Business Opportunity website,www.fedbizopps.gov, on or about 15 days from the dateof this notice. All future information regarding thisacquisition, including amendments, will be distributedsolely through this website. Hard copies of the solicitationwill not be available. Interested firms are responsible fordownloading their own copy of the solicitation andamendments (if any) and monitoring the website toensure that they have the most up-to-date informationregarding this acquisition.All evaluation factors will beoutlined in the solicitation. Technical evaluation factors(i.e., technical approach. past performance, and staffingplan/personnel) are significantly more important thanprice. This acquisition will require contract personnel tohave different levels of security clearances.

All responsible sources registered with the CentralContractor’s Registration (CCR) at http://www/ccr.govmay submit a proposal which shall be considered by theagency. Proposal/offers shall be submitted in accordancewith the guidelines outlined in the solicitation document.

Point of Contact

Rubie King, Contract Specialist/Contracting Officer,Phone (301) 713-4751, Fax (301) 415-0399, [email protected]

Place of Performance

Address: Silver Spring, MDPostal Code: 20910Country: UNITED STATES

Project: Extension of Contract DCA200-95-C-0080 for Transportable Communications Service

(T-Comm Service)

Posted Date: Jun 21, 2007 Contracting Office Address

Defense Information Systems Agency, Procurement andLogistics, DITCO-Scott, 2300 East Dr. Building 3600,Scott AFB, IL, 62225-5406, UNITED STATES

Description

The Defense Information Systems Agency, DefenseInformation Technology Contracting Organization(DITCO), located at Scott Air Force Base, IL intends toextend existing contract DCA200-95-C-0080 for up to sixmonths, effective 1 September 2007. The purpose ofthis extension is to provide additional time needed tocomplete acquisition actions necessary to award a new T-Comm contract sole-source to AT&T Corp. DITCO’sintent to award a new T-Comm contract sole-source toAT&T Corp. was previously publicized via an FBOsynopsis during May 2007 and there were no industryresponses. The existing T-Comm contract provides fullduplex, 15 channel, voice and data communicationsservice over a T-1 circuit path between certain suitablyconfigured aircraft operating anywhere worldwide and theU.S. Air Force Northstar Network. T-Commconnectivity with an aircraft is accomplished via Ultra HighFrequency (UHF) radio or direct physical connection. Connectivity with the Northstar Network is accomplishedvia use of a terrestrial circuit or a satellite link. Serviceis provided as needed by means of teams of personneland equipment on call for departure within 24 hours toany service location. Performance of the contractrequires access to classified information and personnelmust have a secret security clearance. Nosubcontracting opportunities are available under thiscontract. DITCO contacts are Ms Joyce King,Contracting Officer, e-mail [email protected] or Mr.Stan Schellenbach, Contracting Officer, [email protected], no later that 6 July 2007.

Point of Contact

Joyce King, Contract Specialist, Phone 618-229-9646,Fax 618-229-9440, Email [email protected] - StanleySchellenbach, Contract Specialist, Phone 618-229-9126,Email [email protected]

MSM

MILSATMAGAZINE.COM

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JULY 2007

14 / Echostarwww.echostarfixedsatellite.com

7 / GRIDCOM Summit www.gridcomusa.com

21 / Global Milsatcom Conferencewww.globalmisatcom.com

35 / iDirect Technologieswww.idirect.com

27 / Intelsat General Corporationwww.intelsatgeneral.com

ADVERTISERS’ INDEX

The SPADE Defense Index(R) was launched in cooperation with the American Stock Exchange and serves as abenchmark for the value that the markets ascribe to companies involved with defense, homeland security, and space.The Index has 57 constituents, 60% of which have space or satellite business lines including DirecTV, Echostar, XM,and Sirius.Details on the SPADE, including its calculation methodology, rules defining selection criteria, currentconstituents, performance, as well as our ‘SPADE Investor’ newsletter can be found on the www.spadeindex.comwebsite.

Highlights for the Second Quarter of 2007:

SPADE Defense Index Statistics

25 / AAE Systemswww.aaesystems.com

23 / Advantech AMTwww.advantechamt.com

13 / Andrew Corporationwww.andrew.com

17/ AVL Technologieswww.avltech.com

30 / Comtech EF Datawww.comtechefdata.com

32 / Satnews Publisherswww.satnews.com

10 / Xicom Technologieswww.xicomtech.com

11 / Wavestreamwww.wavestream.com

4 pszh[ 4 hnhapul jvt · july 2007 milsat magazine.com back to contents 4 july 11-12, 2007 military...

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