Photo: Inmarsat

[Via Satellite 10-09-13] The U.S. government has tested and acquired Inmarsat Government’s L-Band Tactical Satellite (L-TAC) solution to enhance its communications capabilities in the field. The L-TAC solution, launched in July, complements the scarce UHF satellite capacity with a single-hop, low-latency voice and data service, providing tactical L-band service when UHF channels are inaccessible or unavailable.

“Military users need to exercise reliable and cost-effective command and control of widely dispersed forces in austere environments where terrestrial infrastructures are non-existent,” said Susan Miller, Inmarsat Government’s president and CEO. “The L-TAC service provides clear communications at high speeds, crucial for convoys on the move in hostile environments. Such service is in critical demand on a global basis, enabling existing in-service tactical radios to access Beyond Line of Sight communications without the need to modify existing hardware.”