SKYTRAC Iridium
Certus Solution Selected for the H160M
French Joint Light Helicopter Program
SKYTRAC announced that
Airbus Helicopters (Airbus), has selected
SKYTRAC’s SDL-700 Satcom system to provide
mission-critical capabilities for the Joint
Light Helicopter (Hélicoptère Interarmées
Léger – HIL) French Armed Forces Programme.
The French Armament
General Directorate (DGA – Direction
Générale de l’Armement) launched the
development of the H160M in December 2021.
This state-of-the-art latest generation
military helicopter is capable of missions
ranging from commando infiltration to air
intercept, fire support, and anti-ship
warfare supporting the requirements of all
three branches of the French Armed Forces.
To support the HIL
programme’s objective to replace five types
of helicopters serving in the French Army,
Navy, and Air Force, Airbus Helicopters will
be providing a total of 169 H160M in batches
starting in 2027. These aircraft will be
factory-equipped with SKYTRAC’s SDL-700 to
enable broadband Low Earth Orbit (LEO)
satellite connectivity to support high value
mission-critical capabilities.
The SDL-700 is the
latest iteration of SKYTRAC’s flagship
broadband Satcom terminal. A multifunctional
system, the SDL-700 is a satellite
communication terminal, data acquisition,
and onboard server system that utilizes the
Iridium Certus broadband connectivity
service to provide up to 704 Kbps of
bandwidth to enable mission-critical
capabilities onboard the H160M.
“We are excited to
equip the H160M, a leading modern platform,
with equally leading-edge capabilities such
as live video streaming, image and large
file transfer, satellite voice, text, and
Push-to-Talk (PTT), and Electronic Flight
Bag (EFB) automation,” mentions Jan van der
Heul, Vice President of Sales at SKYTRAC.
“LEO satellite communications are
revolutionizing operations, and we are
excited to spearhead that progress.”
SKYTRAC’s complete
solution will include the SDL-700 Satcom
system, a High Gain Antenna (HGA) capable of
704 Kbps of bandwidth, and a Dual Element
GPS Antenna that will be integrated into the
H160M aircraft.
“With 99.9% uptime
reliability using the Iridium NEXT satellite
constellation, SKYTRAC’s solution will
provide the French Armed Forces with the
reliable connectivity and mission-critical
capabilities required for successful, safe,
and efficient operations,” says Jan van der
Heul. “We look forward to continuing our
long-standing relationship with Airbus
Helicopters and supporting them in the
launch of their latest helicopter.”
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