Viasat will equip two aircraft in NOAA’s “Hurricane Hunter” program with a hybrid satcom solution under a new award from Lockheed Martin.
Hurricane Hunters are specialized planes that fly directly into tropical storms for the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA). These aircraft perform storm reconnaissance missions, locating the center of the storm, and measuring pressure and surface winds around the eye of a storm.
NOAA contracted Lockheed Martin in 2024 to deliver two specialized C-130J Hercules aircraft to become the next generation of NOAA Hurricane Hunters. These aircraft will replace WP-3D Orions, which have operated since the mid-1970s. The aircraft are expected to enter service by 2030.
Lockheed Martin has tapped Viasat to provide its Hybrid Satcom Approach (HSA) technology for line-fit, factory integration. The subcontract will connect the two C-130J Hercules aircraft, with options for additional aircraft.
Viasat said it will provide engineering support, terminal hardware, and structural integration data. The HSA solution is designed for U.S. government customers and enables multi-frequency, multi-network, multi-orbit connectivity, including military satcom systems. The integration will involve HSA’s ARINC 791/792-compliant antenna baseplate with Viasat’s Ku/Ka broadband antenna.
“The selection…. is a strong validation of our open-architecture approach to resilient airborne communications,” said Victor Farah, senior vice president, Government Services and Solutions. “By enabling a standardized, ARINC compliant integration, this program not only supports NOAA’s lifesaving weather research mission today but also helps futureproof the aircraft for evolving connectivity and aircraft mission communications requirements.”
