USA's new Transformational Communications Satellite System (TSAT)

TSAT is intended to provide internet-like capability that extends high-bandwidth satellite capabilities to deployed troops worldwide, and delivers an order of magnitude increase in available military bandwidth. Using laser communications intersatellite links to create a high data-rate backbone in space, TSAT will be one of the key enablers for the American vision for Network Centric Warfare.

A visual image from a UAV that would take 2 minutes to process with the Milstar II satellite system would take less than a second with TSAT. A radar image from a Global Hawk UAV (12 minutes), or a multi-gigabyte radar image from space-based radar (88 minutes), would also take less than a second with the TSAT network. Best of all, the recipient can be on the move with a relatively small receiver, anywhere in the world.



The TSAT program is envisaged as part of the TCA, providing its space-based "anytime, anywhere" bandwidth backbone.

The whole TSAT system will include TSAT Space Segment (TSAT SS) satellites, as well as integrated ground stations and networks. For instance, the $2 billion TSAT Mission Operations System, (TMOS) is part of the TSAT program, but also has wider applications. The TMOS network will give the U.S. military's overall Transformational Communications Architecture (TCA) the ability to act as a broadband, on-demand global Internet based on IP, incorporating key emerging network technologies like quality of service provisioning and bandwidth guarantees in the bargain.

Lockheed Martin-Northrop Grumman team is competing against another one led by Boeing to build the T-Sat satellites, which are expected to begin launching around 2013.

links for more reading :
www.nationaldefensemagazine.org...
www.isrjournal.com...
www.afcea.org...


Hmm..C4ISR is surely the hottest area now...and the US is leading the way;

I wonder what the Russian developments on C4ISR are ??


[edit on 16-7-2005 by Stealth Spy]

Very good post. What I can tell you is that any Russian efforts at the moment are alot smaller than the US project.

Israel is one of the leaders in C4I technology with EADS(Europe) and the USA, and they have been providing a lot of their C4I know how to India and China.