U.S.A.F. Confirms Satcom Direct's Removable Satellite C-130 Capability Following 26-hour Endurance Test

Satellite communications provider Satcom Direct Government (SDG) has tested the Roll-on/Roll-off (RO/RO) Beyond Line of Sight (BLOS) SATCOM capability developed with Florida-based R4 Integration, Inc. (R4i) during a 26-hour and 20-minute mission on a Lockheed Martin C-130J-30 Hercules.

Following the intensive validation flight, the SD/R4i Tactical Removable Airborne Satellite Communications (TRASC) BLOS solution is now fully available for U.S. Air Force use. Conducted as part of Exercise Gnarly Explodeo, the maximum endurance mission recorded 100% reliability and availability from the TRASC system. It facilitated secure command and control data communications, defense applications, intelligence updates, electronic flight bags, video conferencing, voice over internet, and WiFi calls. The equipment connects with the Intelsat FlexAir service, which employs an optimized high-throughput global satellite network to deliver dedicated airtime to government users. The SD/R4i TRASC system supports the commander of Air Mobility Command (AMC), General Mike Minihan, in achieving his intention to have 25% of the AMC fleet connected by 2025.

The SD/R4i TRASC BLOS solution integrates the SD Plane Simple Ku-band terminal within a Multi-Purpose Hatch System (MPHS) designed to replace the existing C-130 standard upper forward or center fuselage hatches. The Satcom Direct Government team assisted U.S. Air Force maintainers as they installed the system on a 41st Airlift Squadron, 19th Airlift Wing C-130J at Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas.

The turnkey solution mounts the SD Plane Simple antenna in the MPHS. It includes a compact RO/RO BaseBand kit that integrates a secure enclave, modem, Link-16, airborne router, and power supply. The stand-alone system only requires AC or DC power from the aircraft to operate and distribute real-time BLOS connectivity.