Advantages of Commercial Satellites versus Military Satellites

摘要

The ever-increasing demand for satellite communications has put a severe strain on the United States military over the past few years, necessitating the Department of Defense (DoD) to lease commercial satellite time in order to meet the U.S. military's increased requirement. During Operation Desert Storm in 1991, the military used 140 bits per second (bps) of satellite bandwidth per deployed person. That amount jumped to nearly 3,000 bps during Operation Noble Anvil, the U.S. component of NATO's Operation Allied Force in Kosovo in 1999. Bandwidth usage jumped again during Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan, with bandwidth reaching 8,300 bps per deployed person during the operation, which began in 2001. By the launch of Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2004, the level escalated to 13,800 bps per person, an increase of 9, 700 percent throughout the 13-year period. Many U.S. senior military officials are demanding that new U.S. military satellites be developed and launched into orbit in order to meet these high demands. However, the U.S. military should continue to use commercial satellites because of their relatively low cost, availability, and efficiency.