World's first MilSatCom/GX maritime terminal

Inmarsat has announced a new partnership with EM Solutions to reportedly develop the world’s first combined MilSatCom/Global Xpress (GX) maritime satcom terminal.

The new terminal, which is initially being created for an Australian Government customer, is scheduled to receive full Inmarsat accreditation during Q2 2016 and will be submitted for Wideband Global Satcom (WGS) certification.

The terminal is said to be substantially lighter and faster than comparable MilSatCom devices and will contain innovative features, including tracking via monopulse technology and easy switching between GX and MilSatCom systems.

“Today’s announcement is a further example of Inmarsat’s strategy of responding quickly and effectively to customer demands,” said Inmarsat Global Government President Andy Start.

“In this instance, the Australian Government customer was looking to increase the operational capabilities of their satellite communications within significant budget constraints and the requirement to reduce the footprint of satellite equipment onboard its new vessels. We are seeing a growing understanding within government satcom circles of the important role that commercial satellite communications can play in augmenting existing MilSatCom capabilities.”

Dr Rowan Gilmore, CEO of EM Solutions, said the company is happy to be partnering with Inmarsat for the project.

“We have been working on this product platform for a number of years and the opportunity presented itself to take a product through both Inmarsat GX certification and ultimately WGS certification to deliver a unique offering to an Australian Government customer,” said Gilmore.

“We believe this terminal will be the first jointly certified system to enable automatic switching between MilSatCom and Inmarsat GX satellite systems.”

Based on its land mobile terminal for the Ka-band, EM Solutions is also currently contracted to deliver a simultaneous X-band/Ka-band maritime terminal, which provided the baseline reference for the new program in conjunction with Inmarsat.

EM Solutions has adopted an innovative approach to the development of its satellite terminals, adopting monopulse tracking techniques that provide exceptional accuracy and stability in addition to reducing the demand on motors and other moving parts, which minimises power, weight and operational stress.

As a specialised developer of RF components and subsystems for the Satcom industry, the new terminals will use EM Solution’s Diamond Series Ka Multiband Block Up Converters, which utilise gallium nitride (GaN) technology and cover both commercial and military Ka frequency bands in a highly efficient, single package.

This family of maritime terminals is known as the COBRA series and will be further developed for other capabilities in the near future.