Viasat details new products equipping the USSOCOM
Viasat will provide the United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) with a number of communications systems as per its contract to this end announced in mid-January. The company has told MONS that it will furnish a number of dedicated systems and services which will include its DACAS-GS (Digitally-Aided Close Air Support Gateways for Special Operations Forces), plus its AN/PRC-161 BATS-D handheld radios which carry the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation’s Link-16 ultra high frequency (960 megahertz/MHz to 1.215 gigahertz/GHz) Tactical Data Link (TDL) protocol and Harris KOR-24A STT (Small Tactical Terminal) radios which can also carry the Link-16 TDL along with very high frequency (30MHz to 300MHz) traffic.
Regarding communications services, Viasat is equipping the USSOCOM with Ku-band (14GHz uplink/10.9GHz to 12.75GHz downlink ) and Ka-band (26.5GHz to 40GHz uplink/18GHz to 20GHz) downlink) satellite communications systems which will allow mobile and static communications, along with Special Operations Forces Deployable Nodes and ground hubs to satisfy the Command’s high capacity assured SATCOM requirements. Finally, Viasat is furnishing USSOCOM with several High Assurance Internet Protocol Encryptor Devices including the company’s KG-250X/XS, KG-255, KG-142 and IPS-250X products. Viasat’s written statement added that deliveries of these products have already commenced under the terms of the five-year indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract it has concluded with USSOCOM.
Thomas Withington
