Wideband Gapfiller Satellite system support for the Global Hawk mission

The main purpose of this paper is to document the findings of a study tasked by the joint staff regarding the potential supportability of the Global Hawk (GH) high data rate requirements using the Wideband Gapfiller Satellite (WGS). The joint staff tasking was based upon an intelligence program decision memorandum (IPDM) tasking investigating options for the support of the Global Hawk unmanned aerial vehicle beyond line of sight requirements. DISA conducted the study with support from the Space and Missile Systems Center MILSATCOM Joint Program Office (SMC/MJPO) and from ARMYSpace the WGSSATCOM System Expert (SSE). SMC/MJPO provided the WGS payload specification as proposed by Boeing and ARMYSpace provided operational and technical input into the study. WGS will provide up to nineteen 125-MHz digital transponders to meet tactical user requirements. These segments can be flexibly connected between Ka and X-band and can route subsegments of these 125-MHz band segments between X- and Ka-band coverages. Analyses are based on Ka-band connectivity between the satellite and the Global Hawk platform, with hub to satellite connectivity at either Ka-band or X-band. In addition to bandwidth considerations, the analysis examines required power budgets and coverages expected to serve the Global Hawk mission.