The "Transparent" Earth Station

This paper describes features desirable in commercial satellite earth stations to enhance their use for DOD applications. The introduction is a challenge presented as a "wish list." The challenge is meant to stimulate thinking by the users, the carriers, and the hardware developer/ suppliers. The ultimate objective is to determine what enhancements might be accomplished and develop the specifications necessary to procure these functions within budgets for application to specific C³ missions. The summary section describes an alternate approach to interoperability that can accomplish many of the same goals of a hardware approach but at a reduced cost.