Military Satellite News (November & December 2009)Visit
www.satnews.com/military for today's military satellite news
December 30, 2009
Ariane 5 — Oui! Eye Spy In The Sky As French Helios 2B Launches
No slowing down as the seventh and final Ariane 5 launch for 2009 has launched at the second attempt on Friday following a 24 hour scrub due to an unspecified issue with the launch platform.
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SatMax — Important ITT Delivery Completed
SatMAX Corp. (PINKSHEETS: SATM) has delivered an order for additional satellite communications antennae to ITT Corporation.
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December 17, 2009
U.S.A.F. FMV Mod Now Implemented
The U.S. Air Force’s Military Satellite Communications Systems Wing Operations Support and Logistics office has implemented the first phase of a system modification to increase Global Broadcast Service full-motion video feeds to the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility.
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December 15, 2009
Harris — SDR Unity Award
Harris Corporation's (NYSE: HRS) Unity XG-100 Full-Spectrum Multiband Radio has received the SDR Forum Technology of the Year Award.
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U.S.A.F. Completes Verification Testing Of GEO Ground System
The Space Based Infrared Systems Wing at the Air Force Space Command’s Space and Missile Systems Center announced the successful completion of the GEO Interim Operations Ground System verification testing.
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Insitu Probes SpaceAge Control For UAVs
SpaceAge Control, Inc. has been selected by Insitu Inc. to provide the miniature pitot-static probe for the Integrator unmanned aircraft system (UAS).
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December 14, 2009
USCG Gets Guardian UAV
The U.S. Coast Guard has received its first Guardian UAV.
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Indian Indigenous UAV In Development
India's Defence Minister, A K Antony, has informed the Lok Sabha that the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is taking up the development Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) against confirmed Qualitative Requirements (QRs) to meet tri-services requirements.
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Apache Attack Choppers Have Lots Of LUT For UAVs
Developmental prototypes of the U.S. Army's next-generation Block III Apache Attack helicopter tested emerging technologies which allow pilots to control UAVs and their sensor payloads from the cockpit of the aircraft during a so-called Limited User Test (LUT) in November at Yuma Proving Grounds, Arizona, service officials said.
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Elbit Systems' Has Hermes® 900 UAV Happening
Elbit Systems Ltd. (NASDAQ: ESLT), announced that its Hermes(r) 900 UAV completed a successful maiden flight and will commence serial production
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December 13, 2009
digiGO! — The Digital Revolution™ — Classroom On Demand Continues AFRTS Digital Training
The American Forces Radio and Television Service (AFRTS) is part of the Defense Media Agency, which operates 33 full-service radio and television stations in 16 countries.
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TCS Takes On DITCO CENTCOM Contract
TeleCommunication Systems, Inc. (TCS) (NASDAQ: TSYS) has received a three-year, US$5.9 Million contract incrementally funded at US$2 million from the Defense Information Technology Contracting Office (DITCO) to provide the U.S. Army Central Command (CENTCOM) with space segment for its Afghanistan operations.
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Sky Warrior UAV Has Hellfire On Its Mind
As reported by Guy Norris in Aviation Week, weapons clearance tests of the U.S. Army's MQ-1C unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) will accelerate this week with live firing of several Hellfire missiles from an aircraft destined for an Afghanistan-bound Quick Reaction Capability unit.
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December 10, 2009
Northrop Grumman's AF-18 Global Hawk UAV's First Flight Fully Faultless
The first Block 40 configuration of the RQ-4 Global Hawk high-altitude, long-endurance (HALE) unmanned aircraft system (UAS) successfully completed its first flight on November 16.
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UPDATE: ULA Makes A WISE Move With A Pending Monday Launch
The launch of NASA’s Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) mission scheduled for Friday, December 11 has been delayed.
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Insitu Installs UAV Flexibility With SkyHook
Insitu Inc., a Boeing [NYSE: BA] subsidiary, has successfully demo'd its interoperable unmanned aircraft (UA) launch and recovery system.
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December 8, 2009
IDF Seeking Surprise Capable UAVs
The Israel Air Force and Ground Forces Command have issued a request to defense industries to submit proposals for the development of a stealthy unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that would be capable of flying undetected in combat zones.
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Boeing Blessed — WGS-3 Sends Satisfactory Signals
Boeing [NYSE: BA] has acquired the first on-orbit signals from the third of six Wideband Global SATCOM (WGS) satellites.
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Sanswire Sending STS-111 Skyward In Orlando
Sanswire Corp. (OTC.BB:SNSR), through its Joint Venture Sanswire-TAO Corp., announced an agreement with Orlando Sanford International Airport (SFB) to publicly unveil and demonstrate the STS-111 Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), their new commercial, mid altitude, multi-day duration, lighter-than-air platform designed to rapidly provide persistent surveillance capabilities and to work in tandem with other currently deployed UAVs in various domestic and overseas operations.
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December 7, 2009
Sapura Group Shows Off UAVs
Sapura Group will pitch its unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) in Asia, Europe,and the United States.
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Stealthy Sentinel In Afghan Skies
The U.S. Air Force has confirmed to Aviation Week the existence of the so-called "Beast of Kandahar" UAV, a stealth-like remotely piloted jet seen flying out of Afghanistan in late 2007.
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Stratos Enlisted For USCG Services
Stratos Government Services Inc. (SGSI) has been selected by the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) to deploy Inmarsat's FleetBroadband mobile broadband satellite service on as many as 50 USCG vessels.
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ULA Readies For 37th Launch In 36 Months — NASA's Delta II WISE
Excellent record for ULA with their 36th launch in 36 months just completed, now ULA is turning its attention to supporting NASA for the Delta II Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) launch.
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National Space Symposium's 26th Under Barrage...Of Music
Plan on hearing a Barrage of sounds as the energetic and eclectic music of the internationally acclaimed group Barrage officially launches the Space Foundation's 26th National Space Symposium on April 12 at The Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
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December 4, 2009
Air Force’s Wideband Global SATCOM-3 Prepares For (Hopefully) Saturday Countdown
For the second time in three days, a United Launch Alliance Delta IV rocket with the Air Force’s Wideband Global SATCOM-3 (WGS-3) satellite sits poised on its Space Launch Complex-37 launch pad ready for flight.
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Just In — Delta IV WGS-3 Mission Officially Scheduled for December 5
Friday P.M. Update — JUST IN: The launch of the Air Force’s Delta IV Wideband Global SATCOM-3 (WGS-3) mission is now scheduled for December 5 with a launch window of 7:23-8:47 p.m., EST. The faulty electronics card in a piece of ground support equipment used to monitor telemetry data was replaced and the Delta IV and WGS-3 spacecraft are ready for flight.
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Go Delta IV! Go WGS-3! And They Did Making It 36 In 36
Persistence certainly paid off today, December 5, at Cape Canaveral AFS, Florida, with the launch of its 36th successful mission in 36 months for United Launch Alliance as the Delta IV rocket whisked the Air Force’s third Wideband Global SATCOM (WGS-3) satellite into orbit.
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December 3, 2009
Northrop Grumman and U.S. Air Force Plug-And-Play In A Bus
Northrop Grumman Corporation [NYSE:NOC] has been awarded an initial $500,000 task order to help the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) design a spacecraft "bus" with plug-and-play capability to reduce cost and schedule in developing future space systems.
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Malaysian Firms Manufacture Flighty MALE
By next year, Malaysia will become the first country in this region to produce its own Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) code-named "Yabhon Aludra".
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Summit Calls For 100 Percent Mission Success As Goal Of U.S. Agencies
During the second annual U.S. Space Enterprise Mission Assurance Summit, leaders from two key government space agencies agreed to a strategic intent addressing mission assurance and are working on a memorandum of understanding that they believe will open doors for enhanced collaboration.
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Globecomm's X-Band Reliability For U.S. + Coalition Forces
Globecomm Systems Inc. (NASDAQ: GCOM) has introduced an operational commercial X-band service offering to U.S. Military and Coalition Forces operating in Southwest Asia, the Middle East, and Africa.
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Comtech Xicom SSPAs Are Going To Fly-Away
Comtech Telecommunications Corp.'s (Nasdaq:CMTL) subsidiary, Comtech Xicom Technology, Inc., has received orders totaling US$1.6M for ruggedized, solid-state power amplifiers (SSPAs).
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December 2, 2009
Global Technology Solutions — Just Six Months Out — Financial Success
Great way to end a year — Global Technology Solutions (GTS), the Hollywood, Florida-based technology solution provider, will close out 2009, and the company’s first six months in business, tracking a $32 million fiscal year and over $125 million of business in the pipeline, eight offices in North and South America, and a new acquisition on the horizon early in 2010.
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ITT Is It For NSWC's TacSatCom Device
Iridium Communications Inc. (NASDAQ: IRDM) and ITT Corporation (NYSE: ITT) announced ITT has received a contract from the U.S. Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) Dahlgren Division to supply 1,450 Iridium-based handheld tactical satellite communication devices for use by U.S. forces in Iraq and Afghanistan.
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Ariane 5 Receiving Final Prep Work For European SpySat Launch
Arianespace’s wrap-up Ariane 5 flight of 2009 has entered final preparations for its liftoff next week with France’s Helios 2B military observation satellite.
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December 1, 2009
Russian Air Force Doesn't Want Russian Made UAVs
The Russian Air Force considers the unmanned aerial vehicles offered by domestic manufacturers to be inferior in quality, the force commander said on Thursday, as is reported in an online news article from RIA Novosti.
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Planetsky Ltd. Says It's All Greek To Them
Cyprus-based Planetsky Ltd, in collaboration with their Greek business partner Epikinonia, has been selected by the Greek government to provide Afghanistan-based troops with broadband data and voice services.
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Naval Research Lab's Fuel-Cell Powered UAV An Ion Tiger
The Naval Research Laboratory's Ion Tiger, a hydrogen-powered fuel cell unmanned air vehicle (UAV), has flown 26 hours and 1 minute carrying a 5-pound payload, setting another unofficial flight endurance record for a fuel-cell powered flight.
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Northrop Grumman Grinds Out JCR For Army + Marine Testing
Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) has delivered the next version of Force XXI Battle Command Brigade and Below (FBCB2) software to the U.S. Army to begin formal government testing.
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Weather Wrecks WGS-3 Launch For The 2nd...
The launch of the U.S. Air Force's Delta IV Wideband Global SATCOM-3 mission scheduled for December 2nd has been delayed 24 hours, due to approaching inclement weather.
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SAT CORP's SigMon Signed On For RF Monitoring
Integral Systems, Inc.'s (Nasdaq:ISYS) subsidiary, SAT Corporation, was awarded a US$4.3 million, 18-month contract to upgrade the Utah Test and Training Range (UTTR) Frequency Control and Analysis (FCA) system.
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