The first Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) satellite built by Lockheed Martin [LMT] for the Air Force was successfully launched Aug. 14 from Cape Canaveral aboard an Atlas V rocket provided by the United Launch Alliance.
“This morning’s successful launch is testimony to the dedication, skill and operational excellence of the entire government-industry AEHF team,” Col. Michael Sarchet, commander of the Protected Satellite Communications Group at the Air Force’s Space and Missile Systems Center said. “For over 15 years, the Milstar constellation has served as the backbone of secure military communications, helping the military operate in a secure mode without concern of enemy interference. AEHF will significantly enhance our national security space architecture, and we eagerly anticipate providing this new capability to the warfighter.”
The AEHF system is designed to provide the Pentagon and other government officials with protected, high capacity communications. It is the successor to the five-satellite Milstar constellation.
Canada, Netherlands and the United Kingdom have participated in the development effort and will receive new capability once SV-1 is online, Air Force officials have said.
The second AEHF spacecraft, SV-2, has completed a test that verified all spacecraft interfaces, demonstrated full functionality and evaluated satellite performance and is now preparing for testing to ensure the spacecraft is ready for flight.
The third satellite, SV-3, has completed acoustic testing. SV-2 and SV-3 are on track for launch readiness in 2011, according to the Air Force and Lockheed Martin.
Lockheed Martin is under contract to provide three satellites and the Mission Control Segment (MCS) ground system. The program has begun advanced procurement of long-lead components for a fourth AEHF satellite.
A single AEHF satellite will provide greater total capacity than the entire Milstar constellation currently on-orbit. Individual user data rates can be up to five times higher than Milstar’s highest speed. The higher data rates will permit transmission of tactical military communications, such as higher-quality real-time video and faster access to battlefield maps and targeting data. In addition to its tactical mission, AEHF will also provide the critical survivable, protected, and endurable communications to the National Command Authority including presidential conferencing in all levels of conflict. The AEHF constellation will also serve international partners including Canada, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.
“Our number one priority is delivering mission success for our customer,” Mike Davis, Lockheed Martin’s AEHF vice president said. “The AEHF system will vastly improve battlefield communications, delivering secure, real-time, connectivity to a greater number of forces in the field, and their commanders anywhere on the globe. We look forward to successfully executing the next steps necessary to making this national asset operational for the warfighter.”
The AEHF team is led by the Air Force Military Satellite Communications Systems Wing at the Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles Air Force Base, Calif. Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company, Sunnyvale, Calif., is the AEHF prime contractor, space and ground segments provider as well as system integrator, with Northrop Grumman [NOC] Aerospace Systems, Redondo Beach, Calif., as the payload provider.
In August 2002, the Government awarded the AEHF contract for $2.9 billion, which included SV-1 and SV-2, along with their associated MCS. As of July 2010, the current scope of the AEHF contract is approximately $4.8 billion and includes the addition of SV-3. Based on July 2010 cost performance reports, Lockheed Martin’s estimate at completion for the current scope of work is just under $6.5 billion, a Military Satellite Communications Systems Wing spokesperson said via email.