The U.S. Air Force successfully demonstrated over-the-air, low-data-rate communication between an orbiting Milstar satellite and the family of advanced beyond line-of-sight terminal, the Pentagon announced Feb. 25.
    The demonstration, conducted late last month, included a series of uplink and downlink communication tests that involved passing voice and data communication between a third-generation (Block 8) FAB-T unit and the legacy Milstar satellite. The FAB-T unit used its low-data-rate software to transmit through its newly developed large aircraft antenna.
    “This successful FAB-T test demonstrates the continuous progress made by the dedicated team that is building this critical nuclear command and control network communications system. This over-the-air test demonstrated for the first time that the more advanced Block 8 terminal can communicate with the Milstar satellite, and serve as a network node with two legacy Milstar terminals,” U.S. Milsatcom Systems Director for the Space and Missile Systems Center Dave Madden said in a statement.
    Boeing and its industry team, which includes L-3 Communications, Rockwell Collins and ViaSat, will now conduct a series of terminal integration, software testing and flight testing activities before building this survivable, secure command and control system.  
    The FAB-T program is scheduled to enter flight-testing in the first quarter of 2013 and exercise low-rate initial production options in the third quarter 2013.