Use of commercial satcom in the Skynet 5 era

The role of commercial services within a military satellite communication system and their ability to support the communication requirements of the fixed and mobile military users has been the subject of considerable interest. Although commercial services are currently employed in the UK military communication systems, their implementation is typically restricted to the leasing of point to point circuits, on an as required basis. This paper considers the potential application of commercial satellite and terrestrial services for the next generation military communication systems. In considering the relative benefits of commercial satcom, it is important to assess not only the provision of in orbit transponders, but also the impact on ground management systems and user terminals, to support an integrated architecture