Canadian Navy Contract is Harris’ First International Deal for Multiband Satcom Terminals

[Satellite TODAY Insider 04-12-11] Harris Corp. has been awarded a $2 million contract from the Canadian government to provide shipboard satellite communications terminals that offer services in X- and Ku-band, Harris announced April 11.
     The Canadian Short Term Satellite Communications Upgrade contract is Harris’ first international sale of its maritime wideband terminals, which will be used for Internet, video and other high-speed, broadband services for personnel onboard Canadian Navy frigates as well as augment support of strategic military communications.
     “This contract represents a strategic international win for our defense business, driven by the affordability of our advanced technology and our ability to make immediate deliveries that fully meet our customer’s deployment needs,” Sheldon Fox, group president, Harris Government Communications Systems, said in a statement.
     Separately, Harris introduced an unfurlable space antenna designed to support emerging requirements for high-throughput Ka-band satellites.
     The antenna increases the gain and potential spot beams available to spacecraft manufacturers and service providers. The increased frequency reuse provided by the additional spot beams enables higher data rates required by providers of services such as satellite Internet, HDTV and 3-D TV, and by businesses that transfer large amounts of data between remote locations, such as oil and gas companies and maritime users.
     The antenna features flight-proven design elements that have been refined during development and production for U.S. government and commercial programs, including the application of reflective mesh, surface-shaping technology and thermally stable materials. The projected aperture ranges from 3.5 meters to 8 meters in diameter, with a compact stowed configuration suitable for most launch vehicles.
     "This new Ka-band product is a natural extension of our existing offerings for larger apertures, and continues our 35-year legacy of providing high-performance antenna solutions with unmatched performance," Fox said.