XTAR Offering SATCOM Capacity for Nepal Earthquake Rescue Efforts

XTAR, LLC has offered to provide X-band satellite capacity to search and rescue efforts and organizations operating in the wake of Saturday’s earthquake in Nepal. The company, which has full satellite coverage over the region, will subsidize its capacity for relevant organizations including government agencies and affiliated NGOs.

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What’s Broken? Actionable Improvements for DoD SATCOM Acquisition

Bureaucracies move slowly – DoD being no exception. Rules originally put in place for good reason sometimes become outdated and counterproductive. The world has changed. Satellites, and commercial SATCOM specifically, are now an essential – not merely supplemental, but ESSENTIAL – part of the military operational capability. Over the past 10 years or more, commercial…

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Space Architecture: Commercial Investment Requires Commitment from DoD

In recent years, DoD has been concerned about the “vulnerability” of commercial spacecraft and has imposed Information Assurance (IA) criteria onto satellite operators. DoD is now discussing what they see as a significant lack of “protection features” such as anti-jam capabilities, beam-forming technologies and other items that might make commercial satellites look more like military…

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Ensuring Stability in the Asia-Pacific Region

Is There a Viable Business Case for Commercial Satellite Coverage without a Conflict? While there are currently no full-scale conflicts or natural disasters in the Asia-Pacific theater, it is widely agreed that this region is the most susceptible in the world to both types of events. Nation states there are gaining considerable economic, military and…

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Brazil’s MILSATCOM is a Dominating Presence in Latin America

We recently attended SMi’s inaugural Milsatcom Latin America conference in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and found the country to be the perfect location for SMi’s first foray into the region. Brazil is one of the most forward facing countries in the region in space leadership and attendees were able to catch a glimpse of the…

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Time Again for the UK Ministry of Defence to Be Brave

In 2003, the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) contracted with then-Paradigm to build and operate the Skynet 5 constellation through a Private Finance Initiative (PFI). Speaking boldly, the UK government displayed unprecedented bravery and vision to enter into an arrangement with industry for its critical secure network communications capability. Commercial operators and manufacturers can offer…

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Pentagon May Defer Launches of 2 Wideband Communications Satellites

Space News – WASHINGTON — Facing a budget crunch that has it scouring all possibilities for near-term cost savings, the U.S. Defense Department’s space leadership is considering deferring the launches of two wideband communications satellites currently under construction, including one that is being paid for by a consortium of U.S. allies, according to multiple sources.

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DoD Strategy: Choose the Right Satellite Technology

The DoD should use this time of relatively low tempo operations to throw off the shackles and take a fresh look at how it addresses SATCOM capabilities for future mission requirements. Troop withdrawal from Afghanistan is underway. Units are coming home. Shouldn’t a major change like this, after such a prolonged war focus, present the…

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