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From DID’s special report article covering the USA’s planned $15-20 billion “Transformation Satellite Network (T-SAT):

“In terms of long term trends, it’s also worthy of note that a combination of narrowband satellites and MARTS-type communications aerostats for theater communications, wideband AEHF satellites for mission-critical high-bandwidth transfers like UAV video, encrypted communications via commercial satellite carriers, and laid fiber-optic cables for strategic communications are already appearing on the scene…. Throw in the possibility of finding new ways to leverage existing systems, and this constellation definitely represents a potential “incremental competition” threat to TSAT.”

FCW.com, in their January 2007 article “Satellite development delays cost DOD $1B”:

“The Defense Department will launch a new generation of communications satellites to serve mobile users in 2009, even though it has no funds for satellite receivers. Meanwhile, DOD is spending $1 billion a year on commercial broadband satellite service because of schedule delays in developing advanced military broadband satellite systems. Air Force Maj. Gen. William Lord said he is considering the use of high-tech balloons and unmanned aerial vehicles as communications relays to help bridge the satellite gap.”

FCW also raises of MUOS satellites headed into orbit, without MUOS JTRS radios on the ground that can take advantage of them. MUOS JTRS remains a part of JTRS Increment II, which is unfunded. The US military will use the satellites’ legacy communications package in the mean time. As for MUOS JTRS, software waveform development was 99% on schedule, and General Dynamics C4 Systems tells DID that “General Dynamics is prepared to support the government when they find the funding for MUOS JTRS-compatible terminals.”