SWIFT-TacSATCOM :: Tactical UHF and K-Band SATCOM

To better meet the needs of soldiers, the Army seeks to provide over-the-horizon tactical satellite communications using a soldiers standard issue radio at UHF or mobile SATCOM terminals at K-band. Traditional relay satellites in geosynchronous orbits are unable to meet this need because they are too distant from the smaller terminals relatively weak transmitter and low gain antenna. A cluster of small relay satellites deployed in low-earth orbit could conceivably meet this need with the added benefit of responsiveness. Leveraging a decade of experience developing high performance RF communications solutions for small satellites, TUI proposes to augment its proven SWIFT software-defined radio platform with broadband K- and Ka-band transceiver modules. Coupled with TUIs existing gimbal technology for pointing high-gain apertures, a small satellite in LEO will be able to provide data services in excess of 100 Mbps to mobile terminals such as those deployed for the WIN-T program.