Estimated reading time 3 minutes, 2 seconds.
ViaSat Inc., a global broadband services and technology company, and General Dynamics Mission Systems—Canada, announced the ViaSat Small Tactical Terminal – KOR-24A – (STT) was selected for use on the CP-140 Aurora aircraft (a Lockheed P3 variant), used by the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF).
The RCAF leverages the CP-140 Aurora long-range patrol as a “command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance” (C4ISR) platform.
The Aurora fleet is used for domestic and international operations across a wide variety of disciplines, including domestic surveillance of the Canadian Atlantic, Pacific and Arctic Oceans, as well as anti-surface warfare, maritime and overland intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), strike coordination, and search and rescue (SAR) missions.
Specific selection of the ViaSat STT was made in recognition of the terminal’s ability to meet ongoing mission needs while satisfying deployment and fielding requirements, such as interoperability across all other Link 16 enabled platforms (Halifax-Class Frigates, CF-188 Hornets and fixed/mobile ground stations), affordability, exportability as well as immediate terminal availability.
ViaSat brings real-time combat communications with its two-channel, software-defined STT. The low-SWaP (size, weight and power) STT enables the CP-140 Aurora aircraft to maintain constant presence on the Link 16 network while simultaneously operating voice and data connections on a second channel.
The terminal offers an affordable, ruggedized, compact form factor that highlights both innovative design and usability.
“This is a monumental award for ViaSat as it represents our first STT award to be used by the Department of National Defence as well as marks the CP-140 Aurora as a new airborne platform for our STT,” said Ken Peterman, senior vice-president, Government Systems Division, ViaSat.
“In working with General Dynamics Mission Systems—Canada, we are enabling a key coalition partner, the Department of National Defence, to meet the ongoing needs of their missions in a timely manner. By embedding our proven Link 16 STT into the CP-140 Aurora fleet, these aircraft will now find themselves in the ‘heart of the action’ during critical coalition missions, as the Link 16 platform provides advanced communications with real-time situational awareness and location data, and simultaneous voice or data communication on two key waveforms at the battlefield’s edge.”
Availability
Deliveries for the ViaSat STT on the CP-140 Aurora fleet began in March 2016. The new STT is on display this week at Canada’s Global Defence and Security trade show: CANSEC, May 25 to 26, 2016, in the JPOM/ViaSat booth #826.
