EM Solutions completes development of naval SATCOM capability

Online newsletter Defence Connect reports that EOS subsidiary EM Systems has secured Wideband Global SATCOM (WGS) certification from the US for its new satellite terminal Antenna Diversity System (ADS). This enables the company to integrate the capability with terminals accessing the military WGS deployed by navies around the world.

The ADS is designed to automatically sense and switch traffic between dual antennas when one of the signals is blocked from satellite view. The system can also split traffic between the dual antennas when visibility is established for both signals. This latest achievement follows on from ADS’s receipt of certification for operation on the commercial Inmarsat GX network.

“The ADS is an important innovation that has been several years in development for our navy customers in Australia, Europe, and the Middle East,” EM Solutions CEO Dr Rowan Gilmore said.

“If one satellite terminal is blocked from seeing the satellite by the ship’s mast or another structure the system automatically directs traffic to a second terminal on the other side of the ship.

“It also increases the resilience of the link since two terminals and their channels are normally available.”

EM Solutions has an 18-month order book for satellite terminals and expects to double its factory capacity to accommodate production of the dual systems that support the ADS.

EM Solutions’ Cobra terminals are billed as the only globally-available maritime terminals capable of accessing both the WGS and other commercial constellations such as Inmarsat GX.

“The ADS is unique technology since it switches the physical path of a channel from multiple modems to the appropriate satellite antenna,” Dr Gilmore added.

“Avoiding the use of a router makes switching automatic and prevents any complexities associated with encryption. We believe it will make a step change in the resilience of naval communications.”