Advanced Extremely High Frequency

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The Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) system is a joint service satellite communications system that provides global, secure, protected, and jam resistant communications for high-priority military ground, sea, and air assets. This satellite system will replace the Milstar system, providing 10 times the network capacity and 6 times the data rate of the Milstar system.[1] The AEHF system is integrated, tested and launched by Lockheed Martin; Northrop Grumman builds and integrates the AEHF payload — processors, anten­nas, radio frequency subsystems and crosslinks. The payload delivers the new AEHF communication services, providing data rates up to 8.192 Mbit/s per user, Milstar Low Data Rate (LDR) services (75 - 2400 bits per second), and Milstar Medium Data Rate (MDR) services (4.8 Kbps - 1.544 Mbps).[2]

The initial contract for the AEHF system was awarded in November 2001 to Lockheed Martin Space Systems and Northrop Grumman Space Technology to begin the System Development and Demonstration phase. This phase will deploy 2 satellites and a mission control segment. The MILSATCOM Program Office of the United States Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center is the AEHF contract manager. The first launch is planned for 2008.

The final AEHF constellation will include three or four crosslinked satellites providing coverage of the Earth from 65 degrees north latitude to 65 degrees south. [3]

[edit] References

  1. ^ Air Force Space Command. Retrieved on 2007-09-12.
  2. ^ Northrop Grumman. Retrieved on 2008-05-30.
  3. ^ Lockheed Martin. Retrieved on 2007-09-12.
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