Airbus to provide SATCOM services to Czech and Dutch military

Europe, News September 10, 2022 , by IRIA No Comments

Airbus has signed a 15-year contract with the defense ministries of the Czech Republic and the Netherlands to provide Satellite Communication (SATCOM) services for military purposes.

The Armed Forces of the Czech Republic and the Netherlands will utilize 2 and 3 channels respectively from the UHF (Ultra High Frequency) military communications hosted payload on the EUTELSAT 36D telecommunications satellite scheduled for launch in 2024, according to Airbus.

The military UHF communication system is usually used by the army forces to conduct real-time communication, surveillance, and reconnaissance during land, sea, and aerial operations. A UHF band provides a high level of interoperability and therefore it is very useful to conduct multinational communication and coalition operations.

Airbus describes its UHF band as a very flexible means of communication that offers a lightweight, robust and highly secure means of communication. UHF provides an extensive range of terminals for use on land, at sea, and in the air to meet the needs of the various armed forces.

The UHF band is a relatively scarce resource especially when it comes to military purposes. Having access to a dedicated UFH channel would significantly improve the communication capabilities of the Czech and Dutch military forces.

Airbus has signed several contracts with many firms for all 18 of its UFH channels available at the EUTELSAT 36D telecommunications satellite. All the UHF channel slots have been booked far ahead of its launch in 2024.

The EUTELSAT 36D would be operated from the Airbus Network Operations Center in Toulouse, France. With its 18 UHF channels, the satellite could provide up to 200 simultaneous communications around Europe, the Middle East, Africa, large parts of Asia, as well as the Atlantic Ocean (to eastern Brazil) and the Indian Ocean (to western Australia).

It is hard to determine the total number of UHF channels used by the military forces around the world, however, according to some sources, there are at least 320 dedicated military satellites or dual-use satellites providing military UHF SATCOM services. More than half of these satellites are owned by the U.S. while China, Russia, and India also have their own dedicated military satellites.

US Army SATCOM — ^{U.S. Army Soldiers use Satellite Communication Systems during Decisive Action Rotation 20-05 at the National Training Center (NTC), Fort Irwin, California, in March 2020. (Image Credit: U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Rosio Najera, Operations Group, National Training Center)}

Earlier in May 2021, Airbus announced that its EUTELSAT 36D would be offering communication services to the armed forces without specifying the details about the countries that were interested in obtaining the UHF slots on the satellite.

Airbus claims that the new and upgraded payload abroad EUTELSAT 36D will enhance the satellite’s portfolio throughout its lifespan. Airbus is the only private company in the world to provide SATCOM services for armed forces around the world.

The EUTELSAT 36D satellite is being built by Airbus based on its Eurostar Neo platform. In addition to the 18 UHF channel slots, the satellite would be equipped with 70 Ku-band transponders for TV broadcasting.