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Iridium Announces Operation Pacific Waves

September 21, 2022

Iridium Communications Inc.announced Operation Pacific Waves (OPW), a series of partnership-driven field exercises involving more than 20 organizations. Focused on the Indo-Pacific region, OPW will deploy Iridium® and Iridium Connected® equipment in live scenarios highlighting the Iridium network’s resilient, real-time and truly global capabilities. A variety of Iridium SATCOM field demonstrations will take place in coordination with an international contingent of organizations including Iridium partners and existing customers like the U.S. Department of Defense, coalition partners and scientific research organizations. The event will take place between Wednesday, September 28 and Friday, September 30, 2022.

OPW is focused on the operational need for Beyond Line of Sight (BLOS) communications and mission command across a vast Area of Responsibility (AOR). It will highlight capabilities that directly support Indo-Pacific mission sets enabled by Iridium’s Enhanced Mobile Satellite Services (EMSS) contract with the United States government (USG). The EMSS contract provides unlimited narrowband subscribers and usage over a secure USG gateway. Innovative technologies and capabilities featured include: Iridium Certus® broadband and midband; Push-To-Talk (PTT); a variety of unattended sensors capable of tracking, environmental monitoring, remote control functions and managing data and image delivery; and Iridium Global Line of Sight® service, enabling truly global real-time command and control (C2) for drones and autonomous vehicles. It will also highlight in-vehicle solutions and cutting-edge capabilities like real-time on-the-move 1080 HD video over L-band, telemedicine, search & rescue, and developing and maintaining a common operational picture for military, civil and NGO applications.

As part of the operation, multiple real-time voice, data, and video communications threads will be exercised both at-the-halt and on-the-move. With a focus on the Indo-Pacific region, primary threads will feature Australia, Hawaii, the Philippines and Japan, with some extending as far as South Africa, Alaska, and Antarctica. Additional threads will be made with various sites across the United States and Canada, including in Virginia, Arizona, Colorado, Ontario and more, showcasing a real-time common operating picture (COP) from all corners of the Earth.

"As home to more than half of the world’s population, almost two-thirds of the world’s economy, and some of the world’s largest militaries, the importance of the Indo-Pacific region cannot be understated," said Scott Scheimreif, executive vice president, government programs, Iridium. "It was a natural step to follow-up the success of Operation Arctic Lynx by exercising Iridium technology in the Indo-Pacific to showcase the Iridium network’s strength in providing real-time interoperability, communications-on-the-move, command-and-control, and developing and maintaining a common operational picture across a vast Area of Responsibility. We’re especially proud to have new and returning partners eager to participate.”

Among the Iridium partners and companies participating are: 4k Solutions, Aireon, Ansur Technologies AS, AssetLink Global LLC, Audio Video Intelligence Corporation, A2G International, Blue Sky Network, Bryodyne Technologies LLC, Everywhere Communications, Geoforce, Honeywell, Icom America Inc., Kaigai, McQ Inc., NAL Research, Navicom, Satcom Direct, Satelles, Somewear Labs, Swoop Analytics, and Thales Defense and Security Inc.

The Iridium network delivers low-latency satellite connectivity through small form factor equipment, making it ideal for applications requiring mobility. Its L-band spectrum offers a weather-resilient and highly reliable signal, helping to ensure the delivery of mission critical communications for the Combatant Command and its subordinate component commands. Iridium and Iridium Connected devices perform a critical role in Joint All Domain Command and Control’s (JADC2) Primary, Alternate, Contingency, and Emergency (PACE) plan and SATCOM architecture.