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Viasat Expands Partnership with Airbus to Provide Secure, Flexible Broadband SATCOM for Spanish Military Aircraft

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

Viasat Inc. has announced an expansion of its work with Airbus Defence and Space to provide secure, flexible broadband Ku- and Ka-band airborne technology for the Airbus C295 Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA) acquired by the Spanish Ministry of Defence (MoD). The integrated Viasat GAT-5530 terminal will deliver secure, reliable satellite connectivity to the aircraft, enhancing the Spanish military's capabilities with resilient broadband SATCOM to support sovereign national security mission needs.

Key Takeaways:

  • Viasat and Airbus Defence and Space will collaborate on the integration of Viasat's dual-band (Ku/Ka) broadband terminal, the GAT-5530, into the Spanish C295 MPA fleet.
  • The integrated terminal will provide a highly flexible, multi-band and multi-orbit, broadband SATCOM capability to support missions utilizing the sovereign, next-generation SpainSat NG satellites.
  • The GAT-5530 strengthens the operational capability of the Airbus C295 by supporting the entire ITU Ku- and Ka-bands, including 3.5GHz of commercial and military Ka-band.
  • The multi-faceted terminal offers significant operational flexibility for the Spanish MoD and other military customers seeking to increase resilience with multi-frequency, multi-orbit, multi-network communications architectures.
  • The Airbus C295 is a highly reliable multirole and multi-mission tactical airlifter, currently operated by 37 countries around the world, with 300 orders reached earlier this year.
  • Viasat's connectivity solutions are designed to support modern military operation requirements with advanced, secure, and resilient satellite communications.
  • The integrated terminal will enable seamless roaming between sovereign and commercial networks, providing superior resilience beyond the capabilities of traditional single-band or single-network access solutions.

Statistics:

  • 300 orders of the Airbus C295 have been reached earlier this year, with the aircraft currently operated by 37 countries around the world.
  • 3.5GHz of commercial and military Ka-band will be supported by the GAT-5530 terminal.
  • The GAT-5530 terminal is designed to provide secure, reliable satellite connectivity to the Airbus C295 MPA aircraft.

Sources:

  • "Viasat Inc. (NASDAQ: VSAT), a global leader in satellite communications, today announced that it is expanding its work with Airbus Defence and Space to provide its secure, flexible broadband Ku- and Ka-band airborne technology..." [Source: Viasat press release]
  • "The Airbus C295 is a highly reliable multirole and multi-mission tactical airlifter, currently operated by 37 countries around the world, having reached 300 orders earlier this year." [Source: Viasat press release]
  • "The GAT-5530 strengthens this operational capability by supporting the entire ITU Ku- and Ka-bands, including 3.5GHz of commercial and military Ka-band." [Source: Viasat press release]
  • "This selection by the Spanish MoD underscores the trust and confidence in our ability to deliver enhanced mission connectivity solutions and to help global government customers significantly improve reliability and continuity across a range of operational environments." [Source: Viasat press release]

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