Kymeta, a manufacturer of satellite antennas, has announced it will provide 138 Osprey u8 flat-panel terminals and associated spares to the U.S. Army’s 4th Infantry Division. This supply is intended for a pilot program focused on enhancing ground connectivity.
The 4th ID, stationed at Fort Carson, Colorado, is the pioneering unit chosen to evaluate novel technologies for the Army’s Next Generation Command and Control (NGC2) program. This program aims to modernize the service’s information infrastructure. While the exact contract value remains undisclosed, the implications are significant.
The Osprey terminal, a commercially available product adapted for military applications, supports communication with low Earth orbit (LEO) and geostationary (GEO) satellites. It uses electronic beam steering, eliminating the need for mechanical tracking.
“We expect to provide 138 Osprey terminals and some spares to the 4th Infantry Division,” stated Tom Jackson, Kymeta’s executive vice president and chief revenue officer. The Army plans to deploy these flat-panel antennas for upper-echelon communication on trucks, tactical vehicles, and robotic platforms.
The NGC2 program is designed to collaborate with various vendors and incorporate commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) solutions. According to Jackson, this contract represents one of the largest orders received to date for the Osprey terminal. Since entering the military market, Kymeta has sold approximately 500 Osprey terminals to the Army, Marine Corps, and Special Operations Command.
The potential impact of the NGC2 contract extends beyond the current order. If the pilot program proves successful, the Army may proceed with equipping all ten of its active-duty divisions with this new hardware, according to Jackson.
Kymeta is also actively developing a dual-band version of the Osprey terminal, capable of operating on both Ku and Ka bands, in contrast to the current Ku-band-only model. The company anticipates the dual-band terminal will be available within the next few years, said Jackson.
The antenna's modular design facilitates compatibility with different satellite service providers through interchangeable modems or cartridges. The existing version operates on Ku band for both LEO and GEO satellites.
Jackson attributed the growing interest in dual-band capabilities to Amazon’s Kuiper LEO broadband constellation, which is expected to commence service in the coming years. Kuiper will operate on Ka band. “If you have an antenna that can provide Ku on either Starlink or OneWeb, Ka on Kuiper and others, in GEO and MEO, your resiliency goes way up,” Jackson said. He further noted that a multi-band terminal would enable the Army to streamline its terminal models and reduce reliance on any single satellite provider.
Since the NGC2 announcement earlier this month, Jackson mentioned that companies have contacted Kymeta regarding potential partnerships. “It’s given us an incredible amount of visibility,” he said.