Collins Demonstrates New Hybrid SATCOM Antenna

Collins Aerospace announced Sept. 22 it has recently conducted an inflight demonstration of a new hybrid satellite communication phased array antenna, as the U.S. military increases its push for inflight connectivity across several platforms.

The company in an announcement said it conducted two separate flight test events, during which the antenna connected with “multiple third-party modem providers”

Collins says its satellite communication concept is agnostic to modems, designed to connect to any satellites that are within their field of view. This includes both military and commercial satellites, both current and future, in low Earth, Medium Earth and Geosynchronous Earth orbit.

“Our solution provides resilient, high-speed connectivity in highly contested environments, anywhere in the world,” Ryan Bunge, Collins’ vice president and general manager for Command, Control, Communications, Cyber and Intelligence and Autonomy Solutions, said in the announcement. “Assured mission communication across the battlespace is crucial, and our hybrid SATCOM antenna can enable it across constellations.”

Multiple U.S. military services and commands are looking at new ways to bring on SATCOM. For example, the U.S. Air Force’s Air Mobility Command has been evaluating systems in recent experiments so their tankers and airlifters could more easily connect to other aircraft and command centers in flight. Recent demonstrations are being used to set requirements for an upcoming program of record, the command says.afa