Next-Stage C4ISR Bandwidth: The AEHF Satellite Program

AEHF concept

The USA’s new Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) satellites will support twice as many tactical networks as the current Milstar II satellites, while providing 10-12 times the bandwidth capacity and 6 times the data rate transfer speed. With the cancellation of the higher-capacity TSAT program, AEHF will form the secure, hardened backbone of the Pentagon’s future Military Satellite Communications (MILSATCOM) architecture, with a mission set that includes nuclear command and control. Its companion Family of Advanced Beyond-line-of-sight Terminals (FAB-T) program will give the US military more modern, higher-bandwidth receiving capabilities, and add more flexibility on the front lines. The program has international components, and partners currently include Britain, Canada, and the Netherlands.

This article offers a look at the AEHF system’s rationale and capabilities, while offering insight into some of the program’s problems, and an updated timeline covering over $5 billion worth of contracts since the program’s inception.

Ships Ahoy! The Harpoon Missile Family

Harpoon in flight

The sub-sonic, wave-skimming GM-84 Harpoon is the US Navy’s sole anti-shipping missile, with the minor exception of small helicopter-borne AGM-119B Penguin missiles. The Harpoon has been adapted into several variants, and exported to many navies around the world. At present, the Harpoon family includes AGM-84 air, RGM-84 sea/land, and UGM-84 submarine-launched versions. Variants such as the Joint Standoff Land Attack Missiles and the upgraded AGM-84K SLAM – Expanded Response will also be covered in this DID FOCUS Article. It describes the missiles themselves, and covers global contracts involving this family.

The Harpoon family’s best known competitor is the French/MBDA M38/39/40 Exocet, but recent years have witnessed a growing competitive roster at both the subsonic (Israel’s Gabriel family, Russia’s SS-N-27 Klub family, Saab’s RBS15, Kongsberg’s stealthy NSM, China’s YJ-82/C-802 used by Hezbollah in Lebanon), and supersonic (Russia’s SS-N-22 Sunburn/Moskit, SS-N-26 Yakhont, and some SS-N-27 Klub variants, India’s SS-N-26 derived PJ-10 BrahMos) tiers.

Rapid Fire Jan. 3, 2013: Uncertainty Reasserted

• Yesterday we rolled out a brand new version of our website. We are working on fixing a number of already-identified issues, but we hope that you will already enjoy a better user experience, from better printing to enhanced embedded media galleries and more. Feedback and bug reports are welcome at feedback@defenseindustrydaily.com.

• The US Congress reached an agreement that delays sequestration by 2 months within a broader deal on taxes that nevertheless is more a stopgap than a fundamental solution. Secretary Panetta | HASC Chairman McKeon | OMB | HR-8 bill [PDF]| CBO scoring [PDF] | Stimson Institute | McAleese.

• The Pentagon and the White House will have to factor in this deal into their FY14 calculations. They are still pretending that submitting the next federal budget next month – while the overall tax and spend equation is still not resolved – is making sense. It is more likely that the FY14 PB rollout will be delayed.