Military X-band very small aperture terminals (VSATs)-to spread or not to spread?

There has been an interest in the development of X-band very small aperture terminals (VSATs) to improve terminal mobility and cost for tactical users. Because of the increase in the levels of interference to and from neighboring satellite and terrestrial networks by using X-band VSATs, there have been significant discussions within the government community on whether or not spread spectrum should be imposed as a waveform standard to alleviate the interference. This paper discusses the advantages and disadvantages of using spread spectrum with respect to interference reduction, space segment resource utilization, terminal cost, compliance with national and international rules and regulations, and blanket licensing. It then provides recommendations on whether or not spread spectrum should be used