• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to secondary sidebar
  • NEWS:
  • SatNews
  • SatMagazine
  • MilSatMagazine
  • SmallSat News
  • |     EVENTS:
  • SmallSat Symposium
  • Satellite Innovation
  • MilSat Symposium

SatNews

  • HOME
  • Magazines
  • Events
  • SmallSat Symposium Updates
  • Industry Calendar
    • IN PERSON
    • VIRTUAL
  • Subscribe

Hughes + General Atomics Showcase UAS SATCOM Capabilities

March 2, 2022

The MQ-1C Gray Eagle Extended Range (GE-ER) Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) has been called the linchpin of the U.S. Army’s multi-domain operations. Gray Eagle is a multipurpose platform that provides access into diverse environments — over land and sea — with Beyond-Line-of-Sight (BLoS) capabilities that are critical for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR).

Built by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc., (GA-ASI), the Gray Eagle can fly for hours, transmitting mission-critical data over satellite to operators located hundreds or even thousands of miles away.

As part of PEO Aviation’s Datalink Modernization Program, satellite communications (SATCOM) connectivity aboard Gray Eagle is enabled by the Hughes HM Airborne System. Hughes has supported GA-ASI with SATCOM equipment, integration and operations for their unmanned aerial vehicle programs for several years.

For the Army Gray Eagle program, Hughes is delivering a customized version of the HM400 modem. This innovative airborne technology incorporates flexible, software defined techniques and a ruggedized container for high altitude applications, meets low size, weight and power (SWAP) requirements, and supports government approved waveforms. To help GA-ASI meet its customers’ evolving needs, Hughes continuously advances the HM System capabilities with software upgrades and enhancements.

Recently, Hughes joined with GA-ASI to demonstrate the very latest HM System capabilities that support resilient communications using government approved waveforms. The successful demonstration aboard the Gray Eagle showcased the HM System’s ability to accommodate the Army’s approved waveform and switch between both GEO and NGSO satellite beams and frequencies (Ku- and Ka-band). This seamless, dynamic frequency and orbital diversity enables communication resiliency and redundancy, especially in contested environments — a key capability for warfighters today.

Across the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), network modernization is a priority, as it is in the commercial sector. Adding advanced features such as multi-transport, multi-constellation, multi-orbit, multi-frequency capabilities to existing platforms like the Gray Eagle helps ensure their lasting value in supporting multi-domain, information-focused operations.

The HM System employs frequency-agnostic, commercially based, open standards to enable affordable, resilient solutions not only for the Gray Eagle, but for a wide variety of manned and unmanned fixed and rotary wing platforms.

“As the Gray Eagle continues to support Army operations, the platform needs resilient SATCOM technology to withstand attacks and transmit high-quality, high-throughput data intelligence in any domain,” said Rick Lober, VP and GM for Hughes Defense. “Employing software-defined technologies, the HM System is flexible and customizable, with an open architecture that interfaces with a variety of antenna technologies and satellite constellations to maintain information assurance, no matter where the Gray Eagle flies.”

Filed Under: Comms, Military, MILSATCOM, Modems, U.S. Army, UAS, Warfighters

Primary Sidebar

Most Read Stories

  • In Their Honor ... Lest We Forget
  • Rocket Lab partners with U.S.A.F. | AFRL for Neutron launch for rocket cargo missions
  • INNOSPACE signs strategic MoU with Saturn Satellite Networks to develop + launch smallsats
  • Space Debris, and the EU’s Space Act
  • AST SpaceMobile to launch 243 satellites

About Satnews

  • Contacts
  • History

Archives

  • June 2025
  • May 2025
  • April 2025
  • March 2025
  • February 2025
  • January 2025
  • December 2024
  • November 2024
  • October 2024
  • September 2024
  • August 2024
  • July 2024
  • June 2024
  • May 2024
  • April 2024
  • March 2024
  • February 2024
  • January 2024
  • December 2023
  • November 2023
  • October 2023
  • September 2023
  • August 2023
  • July 2023
  • June 2023
  • May 2023
  • April 2023
  • March 2023
  • February 2023
  • January 2023
  • December 2022
  • November 2022
  • October 2022
  • September 2022
  • August 2022
  • July 2022
  • June 2022
  • May 2022
  • April 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • January 2022
  • December 2021
  • November 2021
  • October 2021
  • September 2021
  • August 2021
  • July 2021
  • June 2021
  • May 2021
  • April 2021
  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020

Secondary Sidebar

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.OkPrivacy policy
x
Sign up Now (For Free)
Access daily or weekly satellite news updates covering all aspects of the commercial and military satellite industry.
Invalid email address
Notify Me Regarding ( At least one ):
We value your privacy and will not sell or share your email or other information with any other company. You may also unsubscribe at anytime.

Click Here to see our full privacy policy.
Thanks for subscribing!