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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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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Boeing Foresees Additional WGS Satellite Orders

Space News – The U.S. Air Force is discussing the possibility of building at least two more Wideband Global Satcom communications satellites with funding from potential international partners, Boeing Network and Space Systems President Roger Krone said May 13. Krone said in a briefing with reporters he believes there is enough international appetite for additional satellites.…

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Private SATCOM’s Promise

Satellite providers find military demands tough to plan for C4ISR & Networks – At the peak of the fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan, the demand for high-definition full motion video was so intense that about 90 percent of the bandwidth used by U.S. Central Command was supplied by commercial satellites, said Robert Tipton Osterthaler, CEO…

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Demand for X-band to Persist Despite US Military Drawbacks

Via Satellite – Providers of X-band services may find more staying power in military areas of operation. XTAR, an X-band satellite operator, has mentioned that the general downturn in satellite capacity demand has not been as acute as what is seen for other bandwidths. The key reason for this, according to the operator, is the continued…

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SATELLITE 2013 – Sequestration, HTS, Terminal Upgrades, & Mr. Kendall

SATELLITE 2013 is fast receding in the rear view mirror, but there were a few things about this year’s show that stayed with me and my XTAR colleagues who attended the three day annual conference and exhibit. Not surprisingly, the most talked-about issue was sequestration and the impact it will (not “might”) have on the…

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Satellite Bandwidth for Lunch: Buy or Bring?

The commercial satellite operators that support DoD missions have long advocated for changes to the way the DoD contracts for commercial satellite bandwidth. Why? Why would a commercial satellite operator want the DoD to become more efficient at buying its bandwidth? Shouldn’t commercial satellite operators be happy with selling bandwidth to the DoD each year…

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Commercial X-band: In the ring with Ku- and Ka-Band

There is a lot of chatter in the marketplace right now regarding the pros and cons of Ka- vs. Ku-band. Commercial X-band, a frequency reserved entirely for U.S. and Allied Governments’ use, has multiple technical advantages which make it a solid contender in any bandwidth selection process, yet is has been strangely left out of…

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New Technology and User Requirements Drive Change in XTAR Strategy

The U.S. and its Allies are facing significant troop draw downs in Afghanistan. Potential massive spending cuts are looming in U.S. federal and state governments. Presumably the next conflict zones will lie in Asia. DoD procurement methods continue to constrain the cost-effective use of commercial SATCOM. New and continually more sophisticated technologies in intelligence, reconnaissance…

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