The airborne battle command of the U.S. Army recently selected the eNfusion line of broadband satellite communications (satcom) systems manufactured by the Ottawa-based Satcom Division of EMS Technologies Inc., Atlanta GA, for real-time in-flight command and control applications on EUH-60 Blackhawk helicopters in support of airborne battle command operations.
The systems are covered by a contract worth US$2.5-million with Atlas Telecom Services - USA Inc., Reston VA, which specializes in the supply and installation of secure high-speed satellite communications systems on US and international government aircraft.
EMS Satcom says that the U.S. Army Program Manager’s Office for Tactical Operation Centers/Air and Missile Defense, Command and Control Systems (PMOTOCs/AMDCCS) has tested and selected its equipment to provide real-time satellite-based communications.
The Army Airborne Command and Control System (A2C2S), hosted in these helicopters, requires broadband communications for command and control of operations both on the ground and in the air.
In addition to the demand for real-time data, an important consideration was mitigating risk to air crew and other personnel, while also achieving the required performance, EMS says. Options for placement of such equipment on a helicopter are limited. Attaching the system to the frame of the aircraft can cause signal blockage and placement of the equipment in the cabin can expose crew and passengers to possible radiation hazards.
A mechanically steered antenna addressed those concerns. Small and light enough to be mounted on the engine door, away from the cabin, it provides reliable signal strength virtually anywhere in the world, even during the most difficult flying maneuvers, EMS says.
Blackhawks will be outfitted with EMS eNfusion HSD-128 high-speed data terminals, AMT-50 antennas, and off-the-shelf custom-mounted radomes.
“We are very pleased to be working with the U.S. Army’s Aviation Applied Technology Directorate (AATD),” Stephen Newell, EMS Satcom director of Government sales, says. “The system that’s been put together is rugged, yet light and easy to install, and well-suited to the requirements of A2C2S.”
Based at Fort Eustis VA, AATD’s Rapid Prototyping Division was tasked to develop and integrate a system to meet PMOTOCs/AMDCCS requirements for high bandwidth satellite communication’s capability.
“In our experience, our equipment is reliable and rugged, and performs under the uncompromising conditions of the battlefield,” EMS Satcom Senior Vice President and General Manager Dr. Neil Mackay says. “This is a transformational communication solution for the U.S. Army and its selection of our technology hallmarks the importance of combining commercial and military Satcom components to meet the operational needs of the military.”
