Boeing Successfully Transmits Protected Government Signal Using WGS 6

WGS rendering. Photo: Boeing

[Via Satellite 01-13-2014] Boeing completed the second of two anti-jamming technology demonstrations that, for the first time, used an existing military satellite. The demonstration follows a successful transmission of data over ViaSat’s ViaSat 1 commercial satellite in July.

In the test conducted Dec. 15, Boeing successfully sent a government-developed, protected signal through the sixth Wideband Global Satcom (WGS 6) satellite. Engineers confirmed that the signal met all targets for accuracy and strength.

“The two demonstrations show the technology is flexible and able to be quickly deployed at a much lower cost than building a new satellite,” said Craig Cooning, vice president and general manager of Boeing space and intelligence systems.

For both tests, the signal was sent using a commercial modem that ViaSat modified with anti-jamming features. Boeing plans to continue to develop and test the technology for compatibility with other terminals and systems in 2014.