Seventh WGS satellite in orbit
Boeing's seventh Wideband Global SATCOM (WGS) satellite has entered orbit and will soon provide 17% more bandwidth to the US military and allied users of the system, the company announced on 23 July.
A payload upgrade in the WGS-7 satellite will enable this boost in secure communications bandwidth from its predecessors. The satellite sent its first signals successfully soon after it was launched on a United Launch Alliance Delta IV rocket.
The next three satellites will also feature Boeing's upgraded digital payload design that doubles payload bandwidth and improves connectivity overall. The eighth satellite, WGS-8, is set to launch in late 2016. A total of ten WGS satellites will be delivered by Boeing to the US Air Force.
Dan Hart, vice president, government space systems, Boeing, said: 'Every WGS that we deliver increases the ability of US and allied forces to reliably transmit vital information.
'By utilising commercial processes, we are able to offer greater capacity at a lower spacecraft cost, resulting in more than $150 million in savings for WGS-7 through WGS-10.'
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
You may also like
More from Digital Battlespace
-
![AUSA 2024: General Micro Systems adds four new products to the X9 Spider family]()
AUSA 2024: General Micro Systems adds four new products to the X9 Spider family
The airborne three-domain, the two ground-based and the ¼ ATR OpenVPX-based cross-domain systems were engineered to provide real-time security across multi-domain operations.
-
![BAE Systems gets go-ahead for second phase of mission communications programme]()
BAE Systems gets go-ahead for second phase of mission communications programme
DARPA’s Mission-Integrated Network Control (MINC) programme was set up to develop an autonomous tactical network and enable critical data flow in contested environments.
-
![Just Released: Space Technology Report]()
Just Released: Space Technology Report
Why space is an essential part of modern military capabilities
-
![Work-from-home warfare: the power of mixed reality]()
Work-from-home warfare: the power of mixed reality
Defence-secure mixed reality headsets can save hours, or even weeks, of travel time to fix defunct equipment or get subject experts effectively “on-site” where they are needed.
-
![Northrop Grumman receives follow-on contract for CUAS and C-IED systems]()
Northrop Grumman receives follow-on contract for CUAS and C-IED systems
The Joint Counter Radio-Controlled Improvised Explosive Device Electronic Warfare (JCREW) counter-improvised explosive device (C-IED) and Drone Restricted Access Using Known Electromagnetic Warfare (DRAKE) counter-UAS (CUAS) systems are mounted and dismounted RF jammers.
-
![Adarga’s Vantage AI software selected for UK Strategic Command’s Defence Support]()
Adarga’s Vantage AI software selected for UK Strategic Command’s Defence Support
Adarga’s Vantage information analysis tool is in service with the UK MoD and individual UK forces. It builds on the company’s Knowledge Platform which processes, organises and analyses open source material, as well as information held by the user’s military, security and intelligence services.
