Two New Nations Join Program to Provide SATCOM Support to NATO > U.S. Department of Defense > Defense Department News

Starting subsequent 12 months, Spain and Luxembourg will be part of 4 different NATO nations that present satellite tv for pc communications providers to the North Atlantic Treaty Group as a part of a satellite tv for pc providers venture that started in 2020. 

Earlier this month, leaders of the oversight companies within the six international locations met simply exterior of Washington, D.C., to assessment the satellite tv for pc providers already being supplied by the venture, known as NATO SATCOM Providers sixth Technology, or NSS6G. Throughout their assembly, additionally they assessed the present efficiency of these providers and any ongoing challenges. 

Throughout these classes, representatives of NATO’s Communications and Info Company and the six nations agreed on the ultimate textual content of the modification to the memorandum of understanding, which supplies the framework through which satellite tv for pc communications providers are supplied to NATO. 

The proposed modification is crafted to allow Luxembourg and Spain to affix the U.S., France, Italy and the U.Ok. because the suppliers of navy satellite tv for pc communications to NATO. 

Starting in 2005, NATO ceased buying and working its personal satellites, a few of which had been primarily based on designs from the early Nineteen Seventies. As an alternative, NATO opted to show to member states France, Italy and the U.Ok. to offer NATO forces with the satellite tv for pc communications they wanted whereas conducting operations. In 2020, the U.S. joined the present group. 

Beneath the association, the U.S. supplies help with its “extraordinarily excessive frequency,” or EHF, transport service for NATO nuclear command and management and “super-high frequency,” or SHF, capability from its nationwide Wideband International Satellite tv for pc Communications System. 

France, the U.Ok. and Italy present SHF and UHF capability via their Syracuse, Skynet, and Sicral constellations. Spain and Luxembourg will convey extra SHF and UHF capability to the consortium from their Spainsat Subsequent Technology and GovSat satellite tv for pc constellations, respectively. In whole, a couple of dozen navy satellites will present functionality to NATO. 

“These are at various ranges of safety,” mentioned Brian Hughes, the present NSS6G Joint Providers administration workplace chief within the worldwide affairs workplace of the U.S. House Techniques Command. “It is all navy satellite tv for pc communications, which signifies that it has resistance to nuclear results and has resistance to jamming capabilities that business providers typically haven’t got.” 

Hughes mentioned satellite tv for pc communications providers are supplied to NATO although a mix of what’s known as “allocate and commit” and managed providers. 

“[Allocate and commit is] the place this capability is definitely given to NATO and [NATO] can use it because it wants it,” Hughes mentioned. “After which, now we have a managed entry service the place [NATO] makes a request at particular instances that they want it, and we [the team of national providers] truly handle the service supplied.” 

It is not NATO nations who will instantly use the aptitude supplied by NSSG6, however slightly NATO headquarters itself when it runs NATO-sanctioned operations. 

“NATO has, as an enterprise, its personal necessities as a result of it supplies the headquarters features, whether or not they’re static or deployed,” Hughes mentioned. “That SATCOM [satellite communications] is crucial as a result of NATO is offering the command-and-control perform via SATCOM, which is completely mandatory.” 

Whereas the NSS6G consortium supplies the space-based functionality, NATO itself supplies the instruments its forces want on the bottom, mentioned Nusret Yilmaz, the SATCOM enterprise unit proprietor inside the NATO Communications and Info Company.

“NATO owns the bottom tools,” Yilmaz mentioned. “All of the end-user tools, together with the tactical radios, together with the terminals for, to illustrate, deployed communications and together with the varied sizes of transportable and deployable communication techniques. These are owned by NATO. NATO is working and sustaining [the ground systems]. These are natural capabilities of NATO. Nonetheless, for the area section, NATO would not have any natural functionality.” 

NATO’s authentic transfer away from its natural area property was each a cost-saving measure and an effort to permit NATO to have the ability to benefit from the extra trendy space-based techniques that NATO allies would subject for their very own use. 

The addition of Spain and Luxembourg to NSSG6 means elevated resilience in satellite tv for pc communications functionality. 

“Since it isn’t just one nation, [but] a number of nations, there’s additionally type of resilience within the area section,” Yilmaz mentioned. “There may be not too long ago a really excessive improve in demand for satellite tv for pc communications. NATO has compensated for this improve in demand via varied floor section and person section initiatives. Now via this MOU and modification, NATO type of makes certain this extra capability is taken care of from the area section perspective, as effectively.” 

Mike Dean, who serves because the Protection Division’s Chief Info Workplace SATCOM chief, served because the host for this month’s convention. He mentioned, thus far, NSS6G has been an important instance of collaboration and partnership among the many 4 nations to offer satellite tv for pc bandwidth and repair to NATO, and the 2 extra companions will solely improve that cooperation. 

“The addition of Luxembourg and Spain will construct upon present working relationships and the continuing interactions now we have with our Worldwide companions,” he mentioned. 

Dean additionally commented on the advantages of U.S. participation to the DOD. 

“We’re reimbursed for the providers we offer to NATO,” he defined. “We’re then capable of work with the U.S. House Command and the providers and use that cash to assist fund initiatives that may improve the satellite tv for pc communications providers for our warfighters. It is a wonderful instance of how a small funding could make a major enchancment in functionality.” 

NSS6G is starting 10 years of its absolutely operational interval, which continues via the tip of 2034.