Vanguard Magazine

www.vanguardcanada.com APRIL/MAY 2021 17 Sponsored Content munications in a small form factor. Using the STT, warfighters on the ground, air and sea can now have simultaneous access to Link 16 and other wideband UHF or legacy VHF/UHF communications. Vi- asat's flexible architectures also allow for the addition of cutting-edge Link 16 ca- pabilities that both address emergent mis- sion requirements, but also help maintain the tactical edge across the modern bat- tlespace. The STT is completely interop- erable with other Link 16 terminals that are currently deployed on Halifax Class Frigates, Link 16 fixed/mobile stations as well as other aircraft fleet that are slated for upgrades. In July, 2019, the U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) cleared the sale of 152 Viasat MIDS-JTRS (5) ter- minals (aka Multifunctional Information Distribution System - Joint Tactical Radio System) worth US$44 million to the Gov- ernment of Canada. According to the official DSCA an- nouncement, "Canada intends to upgrade its current inventory of CF-18 Aircraft, CC-130J, and the Royal Canadian Air Force's Ground Stations with the pur- chase of these MIDS JTRS (5) terminals to be fully interoperable with U.S. and allied forces to support and compliment joint operations in a net-enabled envi- ronment; have modernized electronic protection and secure, jam-resistant wave forms; and be capable of improved Link 16 message exchange and information fidelity including support to advanced weapon employment." The procurement also includes spare parts/equipment racks, documentation, training, and engineering technical support. Recent Advancements Viasat has been actively advancing the state of military communications in Can- ada as well as other Five Eye (FVEY) part- ner nations with the recent unveiling of an advanced configuration of the Battlefield Awareness and Targeting System – Dis- mounted (BATS-D) AN/PRC-161 radio. The BATS-D is the world's first (and only) handheld Link 16 radio, which is proving instrumental in keeping warfighters on the ground and aircrew in the sky fully con- nected across the battlespace. The updated BATS-D handheld is equipped with new features to address emerging and expanded security threats across a diverse range of operational use cases and deployment scenarios. The ad- vanced configuration is NSA certified for immediate use by U.S. General Purpose Forces, FVEY partner nations and coali- tion forces. "The initial success of the BATS-D radios in the field proves this capability to be a true game-changer in military communica- tions," said Andy Kessler, Vice President/ Business Area Director in Viasat's Next Generation Tactical Data Links business. As a result, "we've seen tremendous in- terest to extend the use of the BATS-D radios to new applications and expanded concepts of operation that address specific needs and capability gaps of U.S. and in- ternational FVEY armed forces. The avail- ability of BATS-D for GPF and FVEY part- ner nations will empower more warfighters with secure, interoperable, digitally-aided communications, which ultimately trans- lates into significantly enhanced situational awareness and improved mission coordina- tion across the multi-domain battlespace." Tapping into Canadian Partnerships Leveraging a dedicated and skilled Canadi- an workforce to meet the communication needs of the Canadian Armed Forces is of critical importance. Viasat understands this need and in partnership with MDA, Viasat is playing a vital role in helping the Army modernize its computer suite and data link radios, with the goal of improv- ing networked voice and communications across the entire CAF. To this end, Viasat and MDA have opened a Link 16 repair, maintenance and upgrade service facility in Richmond, BC – offering crypto modernization, software upgrades, and retrofits to Multifunctional Information Distribution System Low Volume Terminal (MIDS-LVT) Block Up- grade 2 devices for Halifax class frigates and other Link-16 enabled platforms. Since 2011, Ontario-based Telesat and Viasat have partnered to help deliver un- precedented bandwidth and network resilience, redundancy, and active cyber protection that's required to maximize op- erational performance in the contested en- vironments Canadian military operations face during combat. This is a glimpse into the Company's trio of ultra-high-capacity geosynchronous Ka-band satellites that will be launched in 2022, enabling superior reach and readi- ness for military forces around the globe. This constellation of satellites will provide more than 1 terabyte per second (Tbps) of usable bandwidth offering connectivity and global coverage capable of keeping the CAF connected at broadband speeds virtu- ally anywhere they are deployed. Looking Forward to the Future The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) must be ready and able to deliver across a spectrum of operations – from domes- tic humanitarian assistance and disaster response to counter-terrorism and peace support operations, to high intensity com- bat operations. As more emergent tech- nologies from the private sector become available, the CAF can (and should) be outfitted with the best available tools and technology to maintain their tactical edge across today's data-driven battlespace. "We are advocating for the DND to take full advantage of the steep technology trajec- tories of today's private sector," Peterman said. "By better leveraging private-sector innovation, the DND can ensure the CAF stays strong, secure, and engaged so they maintain dominance across all domains and keep the edge needed to be successful at home and around the world." PERSPECTIVE "We closely collaborate with our customers to identify capability gaps and understand the problems to be solved. We then leverage our technology leadership, agile development processes and flexible business models to accelerate the delivery of cutting-edge capabilities to support today's warfighter." — Ken Peterman, President of Viasat's Government Systems

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