AEHF satellite

Lockheed Martin has delivered the second Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) military communications satellite to US Air Force’s (USAF) Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, set to be launched aboard the Atlas V launch vehicle in April 2012.

The AEHF system will provide enhanced global, highly secure, protected, survivable communications for all US warfighters.

Lockheed Martin vice president and Global Communications Systems general manager, Kevin Bilger, said: "Delivery of the second AEHF satellite is a significant milestone in the nation’s protected communications mission."

Bilger continued: "Our team is focused on achieving mission success and delivering this much needed capability to the warfighter."

The AEHF system will be the successor to the five-satellite Milstar constellation in orbit and will offer higher capacity than the whole Milstar constellation.

The satellite will improve the individual user data rates by five times, transmitting tactical military communications, such as real-time video, battlefield maps and targeting data.

Besides the current tactical mission, AEHF will also provide the vital survivable, protected, and endurable communications to the US National Command Authority, including presidential conferencing in all levels of conflict.

The AEHF team comprises USAF Military Satellite Communications Systems Directorate at the Space, and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles Air Force Base in California.

Lockheed Martin Space Systems is the prime contractor and system integrator for the AEHF mission, which delivers space and ground segments, while Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems is the payload provider.

Lockheed Martin is presently under contract to deliver four AEHF satellites and the Mission Control Segment while the programme had commenced advanced procurement of long-lead components for the fifth and sixth AEHF satellites.

 

Image: AEHF satellites will provide enhanced global, highly secure, protected, survivable communications for all US warfighters. Photo: Lockheed Martin