Flight tests propel critical satellite communications program

  • Published
  • By Chuck Paone
  • 66th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. (AFNS) --  A team here wrapped up a series of successful flight tests that demonstrated the near-fruition of an advanced satellite communication capability.

The tests on the Family of Advanced Beyond-Line-of-Sight Terminals, or FAB-T, means the Department of Defense is closer to being able to move large amounts of voice, data, imagery and video to and from ground and airborne platforms.

The program reached a significant milestone in August when program officials used the system to successfully send and receive text, voice and data over operational Military Strategic and Tactical Relay satellites, said Lt. Col. Mike Block, the FAB-T program manager.

The flight tests were conducted on the Paul Revere Test aircraft, a Boeing 707 operated jointly by Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Lincoln Laboratory and the Electronic Systems Center here. The test team successfully passed messages to and from multiple U.S. locations.

The team flew nine flights that wrapped up the series in late August. The team included ESC program team members, Lincoln Laboratory personnel, the 46th Test Squadron and the Air Force Test and Evaluation Center.

Members of AFOTEC and the test squadron even led some of the flights, operating the FAB-T themselves to assess its capabilities, said Jeff Rattray, a contractor on the FAB-T team.

"One of many major successes of the flight test program was demonstrating that the high-gain antenna can track the satellite during the dynamics of flight," Mr. Rattray said. "Other significant accomplishments included several hours of link performance testing with zero bit errors, reception of test emergency action messages in flight, and exercising the majority of the low data rates available on Milstar."

Working in increments, FAB-T terminals will be installed on various military platforms enabling strategic and conventional bombers; intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft; special air mission aircraft; and strategic airlift platforms to maintain connectivity with rear and deployed forces.

FAB-T will provide information to and from ground and airborne platforms over protected and wideband satellite communications and line-of-sight systems. FAB-T is required to be interoperable with all Air Force extremely high frequency, or EHF, terminals and Army and Navy EHF terminals.

Increment 1 of FAB-T develops a protected, survivable, and enduring satellite communications terminal to support EHF nuclear command and control. After DOD officials launch the advanced EHF satellites, it will provide high data rate communications for other missions.

It will be fielded to multiple airborne platforms and ground sites. It will also provide the first EHF capability for the bomber fleet and replace the current Milstar Air Force command post terminal at many ground command and control sites around the world.

In January 2009, the FAB-T delivered the first terminal to the B-2 Spirit program office. FAB-T Increment 2 will be installed on numerous additional Air Force platforms. It will also be installed at ground command posts around the world in fixed and transportable configurations.

"The successful flight tests validate the incremental development approach," said Ron Mason, the 653d Electronic Systems Wing director. "We will deliver FAB-T terminals that are compatible with satellites on orbit today, as well as those that have yet to launch."