Inmarsat
demonstrates L-TAC: TACSAT
on-the-move at 70 mph
10
July 2013
Inmarsat,
has announced the
successful demonstration of
its L-TACTM
service on-the-move in
vehicles at speeds up to 70
mph [112 kph].
The newly
launched L-TAC service will
provide approved government
customers with a low cost
Tactical
UHF Satellite (TACSAT)
capability solution,
which allows soldiers on
foot or in vehicles to
communicate on-the-move,
using their existing UHF
tactical radios.
Available for
order in July and for
connectivity in August 2013,
Inmarsat’s latest offering
is the next step in the
expansion of
mobile Beyond-Line-of-Sight
(BLOS) communications
provided by the innovative
technology behind its L-band
satellites.
The L-band
service uses smaller
antennas than the UHF
equivalent, making it
practical to offer compact,
inexpensive omni-directional
antennas for mounted and
dismounted use.
Andy Start,
President, Inmarsat Global
Government, commented: ““We
have successfully
demonstrated robust L-TAC
communications from vehicles
at speeds up to 70 mph.
This will have huge military
utility, for example
coordinating logistic
convoys moving over long
distances or for command and
control of widely dispersed
vehicle patrols manoeuvring
in difficult terrain.
“Our small, lightweight man-pack
version offers the same
comms on the move capability
to dismounted soldiers.
This is a real game-changing
capability. Convoys
and patrols won’t have to
pause while using their
TACSAT, and that means
improved tempo and less time
spent vulnerable to attack.
We have received very
positive feedback during the
trial stage and governments
around the world have
already expressed keen
interest in the service.
L-TAC will provide a new,
innovative and affordable
means to gain maximum value
from the investment they
have made in their existing
tactical radios.”
TACSAT is in
very high demand by
government users as it
easily and reliably extends
tactical Push-to-Talk radio
networks to wide area BLOS
operations, but existing
networks are oversubscribed.
Inmarsat’s L-TAC service,
announced earlier this year,
will complement existing
capacity with a single-hop,
low-latency voice and data
service, providing
additional capacity when UHF
channels are unavailable.
The powerful Inmarsat-4
constellation of satellites
provides this capability
across the globe. To
access the service, users
require only a small,
light-weight adaptor to
convert their existing radio
to L-band and an L-band
replacement for their
existing UHF antenna.
Inmarsat has
partnered with Spectra to
develop the Slingshot™
system, which comprises a
power supply, frequency
convertor and antenna.
SlingShot works with
existing tactical military
radios and requires minimal
additional training to
provide BLOS communications
without the need for
supplementary infrastructure
or additional cumbersome
gear. Slingshot™ supports
the majority of military
TACSAT radios and has
already been tested with the
most widely used types.
Combined with Inmarsat’s
L-TAC leased service, it is
fully flexible and designed
to meet security and
reliability requirements
cost-effectively. Users will
be able to lease the service
for periods as short as one
month in either narrow spot
beams, larger regional beams
or beams customized to meet
their area of operations.
Simon
Davies, Managing Director,
Spectra Group (UK) Ltd said:
“The ability to use
existing radios spread over
long distances in the field
to increase operational
capabilities without
straining government budgets
is critical.
As
governments around the world
review military budgets,
offering a device
which meets military
standards, without large
capital expenditure
is a highly compelling
offer.”