Lockheed Martin announced the opening of a new radio terminal development and certification facility for the U.S. Navy's Mobile User Objective System (MUOS) communications satellite network.
MUOS is a next-generation narrowband tactical satellite communications system designed to significantly improve beyond-line-of-sight communications for U.S. forces on the move. MUOS will provide military users 10 times more communications capacity over the existing system by leveraging 3G mobile communications technology, and will provide simultaneous voice and data capability. Lockheed Martin, which the prime contractor and integrator for MUOS, said the satellite-based, smart-phone cell network will enable IP-based terminals to transmit and receive clear voice calls and data from almost anywhere in the world.
Lockheed Martin has now opened the $6.5 million Test Radio Access Facility (TRAF) at its Sunnyvale, California campus. More than 55,000 currently fielded terminals can be upgraded to the MUOS Wideband Code Division Multiple Access waveform.
"Lockheed Martin's goal with the TRAF is to help terminal developers and application integrators get MUOS' capabilities deployed to the warfighter as quickly as possible," said Glenn Ladue, MUOS TRAF manager. "Providing a high fidelity, end-to-end test environment during development will dramatically shorten the time it takes to get from a good idea to operational utility."
The company also noted that two satellites, MUOS-1 and MUOS-2, and three of four required ground stations, already are operational. MUOS-3 has been shipped to Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida for its January launch while MUOS-4 is on track to launch later in 2015. The final MUOS ground station also is expected to be operational in early 2015.
http://www.lockheedmartin.com/muos
- A single MUOS satellite will provide four times the capacity of the entire legacy UFO constellation of 10 satellites. The satellites also include a hosted legacy UHF payload that will be fully compatible with the current UFO system and legacy terminals.
