Ka-Band Terminal

Satellite Communications On-the-Move

The dynamic nature of today’s battlefield requires reliable and on-demand satellite Communications On-the-Move (COTM) for the warfighter. To meet this demand, the warfighter requires low-cost, low-profile, reliable and performance-based terminals. Northrop Grumman’s Ka- Band terminal is the next-generation satellite communications terminal that equips the warfighter with true SATCOM capability at an affordable cost and that is fully compliant with the Wideband Gapfiller System (WGS) requirements.

System Overview

The Ka-Band terminal is a self-contained system composed of advanced array antenna, low-noise amplifiers (LNAs), solid-state amplifiers, turntable, modem and liquid cooling. The terminal design uses separate transmit and receive apertures, both mounted on a very low-profile turntable. The phased array instantaneously steers the beam electronically anywhere across the entire hemisphere above the horizon to counteract the platform vibration caused by driving over rugged terrain. The turntable corrects for vehicle turning, changing the antenna tracking angle in the azimuth plane. The design allows for full hemispherical coverage anywhere it is deployed.

Next-Generation Communications

Northrop Grumman’s next-generation Ka-Band terminals provide IP connectivity for the warfighter around the world. It can back-haul ISR video and receive its distribution. The downlink data rate is 256 Kb, extendable to 8-15 Mbps with shared satellite downlinks. The uplink data rate is 512 Kbps, sufficient to support ISR video plus three other multimedia applications, including voice and data. The system is easy to operate, automatically locates and acquires satellite connectivity. Once the terminal has acquired the link with the satellite, the terminal maintains a lock with the satellite. This design does not employ traditional gimbals that contribute to the MTBF deterioration over the life of the terminal. This design provides unprecedented data rate in a small compact volume, unprecedented antenna beam-shaping capability, superior terminal elevation coverage and superior MTBF performance at a low cost.

Key Characteristics