ThinKom Solutions, Inc., has been selected to supply phased-array satellite terminals for a pilot program evaluating Communications-On-The-Move (COTM) options for U.S. Army Armored Brigade Combat Teams (ABCT).
The ABCT COTM solution will integrate enhanced mobile network solutions directly onto select vehicles to make command posts more expeditionary, while enabling soldiers to retain network connectivity as they drive across the battlefield.
The Army is currently setting the stage for an ABCT On-The-Move (OTM) pilot this year to evaluate new commercial network system prototypes integrated onto select ABCT vehicles. The goal is to enhance mobile battlefield ABCT network communications, mission command, situational awareness and ultimately unit lethality.
ThinKom ThinSat® 300 vehicular satellite antennas were acquired by General Dynamics Mission Systems for testing as a design option for mounting on command-post vehicles in armor formations. As a subcontractor, ThinKom provided these three antennas as part of the Army’s contract award to General Dynamics to support integration, engineering and fielding services for the ABCT COTM experimentation effort.
The Ku-band ThinSat 300 antennas are based on ThinKom’s patented and proven Variable Inclination Continuous Transverse Stub (VICTS) phased-array technology. VICTS antennas are currently deployed on 1,600+ aircraft with over 20 million accrued operational hours, representing an impressive 100,000 hours mean-time-between-failure record. Vehicle-mounted VICTS antennas are also widely deployed in a range of commercial and government COTM programs.
ThinKom’s low-profile, lightweight antennas provide industry-leading spectral efficiency and are capable of sustaining network connectivity at high vehicle speeds, on-road or off-road. They support robust network operations at very high and extremely low elevation-angle requirements with near-instant connectivity recovery after partial or sustained blockages.
Designed to work with a full range of modems and networks, the ThinKom system provides flexible “future-proof” interoperability options with current and next-gen satellite systems, including geostationary and low earth orbit constellations.
The COTM experimentation program is expected to lead to prototype deployment and testing under the Army’s two-year Capability Set cycle in 2023, according to the U.S. Army’s Program Executive Office for Command, Control, Communications-Tactical.
“The ABCT pilot program will demonstrate that our field-proven commercial off-the-shelf technology can provide a reliable and low-cost solution to meet this demanding requirement in support of U.S. armed forces,” said Bill Milroy, ThinKom’s CTO and Chairman.
Milroy also noted that ThinKom recently completed successful trials of a VICTS antenna using the frequency-hopping waveform on a U.S. protected communications satellite network.