Iridium Communications Inc. (Nasdaq: IRDM) has shared that Airbus Helicopters is providing the Joint Light Helicopter (Hélicoptère Interarmées Léger – HIL) French Armed Forces Program with H160M’s that will be factory-equipped with Iridium partner SKYTRAC’s Iridium Certus Connected® SDL-700.
A multifunctional system, the SDL-700 is a satellite communication terminal, data acquisition, and onboard server system that utilizes Iridium Certus broadband connectivity to provide up to 704 Kbps of bandwidth to enable mission-critical capabilities onboard the H160M’s.
The SDL-700 is the latest iteration of SKYTRAC’s flagship broadband SATCOM terminal, the SDL-350™.
“The SKYTRAC’s SDL-700 being factory installed on H160M helicopters is a testament to the capabilities of both the Iridium Certus service and SKYTRAC’s engineering and development prowess. This system will provide the French Armed Forces with truly global, weather-resilient and reliable connectivity for their operations,” said Bryan Hartin, Executive Vice President, Iridium. “Whether it’s live video, image or file transfer, voice, text, Push-to-Talk (PTT), or Electronic Flight Bag (EFB) automation, the SDL-700 can provide a wide array of connectivity options for HIL’s mission-critical connectivity needs.”