Letter From The Editor

We live in a multimedia age where it seems as though information has become as important as oxygen, and the demand for satellite capacity for military purposes have increased by eye-popping amounts since satellite communications gave the United States a great advantage during Operation Desert Storm.
In this latest military supplement, we look at the changing dynamics of military operations and how satellite operators and governments are collaborating more than ever.
With the pace of operations in places such as Afghanistan and Iraq showing no signs of slowing down, the importance of next-generation communications in theater never has been greater. With today’s enemies more mobile and more technology savvy than ever, the role of satellite technology could literally mean the difference between life and death for soldiers on the ground.
To meet this demand for information, we are seeing more creative partnerships between the commercial sector and defence agencies/ministries, as they work together to create innovative solutions that ensure military forces have the communications services they need to function to their maximum efficiency.
Gen. Kevin Chilton, commander, U.S. Strategic Command, discusses this changing landscape, education, issues such as space surveillance, and even greater cooperation between the United States and new space powers emerging around the world. While the Cold War era was highlighted by the space and military race between the United States and Russia, today there are many more nations trying to develop a space capability, which means the space landscape is more complex than ever.
We also take a look at the launch services market for military satellites. With the U.S. military planning to place more satellites in orbit to meet its communications demand, will the status quo remain with Boeing and Lockheed Martin continuing to dominate, or will the U.S. defense agencies look at alternative launch service providers?