KEEPING PACE, CUTTING COSTS
SAAMS would not be a one-size-fits-all model, but a modular, scalable and flex- ible approach that could support a wide variety of different missions. Different threats may require different solutions. The Army would capitalize on the strengths of numerous evolving satellite capabilities and designs, such as those in different orbits or coverage areas, to provide commanders and signal officers with multiple network communication capabilities and signal path options to optimally support their mission sets and increase network resiliency.
Although the Army is not totally convinced yet that the SAAMS business model is the right way to go, the service is currently looking to industry partners to provide innovation, to unveil how they envision this model working and how they could continually arm U.S. forces with relevant capability using a SAAMS approach that the Army budget could support.
It must be noted, however, that with every step the Army takes with its indus- try partners toward modernizing satellite communications, continual Soldier exper- imentation and feedback will be critical to shaping unified network capability and designs to ensure Soldiers’ needs and requirements are met.
HOW CAN INDUSTRY HELP? Future multidomain operations will require resilient robust global satellite communication coverage that enables units to exchange information from the foxhole to the Pentagon and to conduct remote mission command, cyber warfare and defense, and network manage- ment from home station. As noted in the Army’s Unified Network Plan, network speed, range and convergence, the marry- ing of tactical and enterprise capabilities, will be key enablers to achieving decision dominance.
26 Army AL&T Magazine Winter 2022
ASSESSING OPTIONS
Industry-provided MEO and GEO ground satellite prototype terminals are seen here during an early Army assessment of managed multi-orbit satellite communications capabilities and services, in March at the Joint SATCOM Engineering Center, at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland. (Photo by Amy Walker, PEO C3T)
The Army is looking to industry to help support these goals and contin- ues to assess both mature and emerging commercial satellite technology, including low Earth orbit (LEO) mega-constel- lations, medium Earth orbit (MEO) and geosynchronous Earth orbit (GEO) high-throughput satellites. Te service anticipates the proliferation of LEO and MEO and high-throughput GEO satel- lite capabilities to deliver expeditionary, mobile, beyond-line-of-sight communi- cations with increased bandwidth and low latency, to better enable resilient robust data exchange and future network modernization efforts. Commercial LEO and MEO satellite constellations, ground terminals and services are in various stages of maturity, as are joint protected high- throughput GEO military capabilities. With this in mind, the Army is work- ing closely with industry to carefully lay
a strong foundation to enable the secure integration of the right solutions into its unified network design at the right time and cost.
As U.S. forces face sophisticated near- peer threats in congested and contested environments, signal path diversity will be critical to units’ network communi- cation primary, alternate, contingency, emergency (PACE) planning to increase network resiliency. Tis will include lever- aging multi-orbit satellite communications from both commercial and military satel- lite constellations to ensure global coverage with multipath diversity extending beyond current commercial satellite frequency bands and GEO constellations. To support these efforts, the Army encourages team- ing within industry to ensure worldwide coverage and signal path options, espe- cially as multi-orbit capabilities mature.
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