Teledesic's Capabilities to Meet Future Department of Defense Wideband Communications Requirements

摘要

Success in modem military operations now depends upon the connectivity provided by communication systems. Space-based communication assets, due to their accessibility, coverage, flexibility, and global reach, are in many cases the only practical means to support transportable and mobile warfighter requirements. Joint Vision 2010's view of future warfighting and its higher, complex operational tempos will demand unprecedented distribution of information, for rapid warfighter interaction, battlefield coordination and joint interoperability. The increasing lethality, mobility and range of weapons, coupled with a smaller and more dispersed force structure, result in significantly increased amounts of three-dimensional battlespace over which an individual force element must maintain awareness and control. The end result is a lethal, deployable military, which is dependent on high-volume information transfers, most of which are graphical, pictorial, or data-intensive in nature. Information, and speed of delivery, are driving the warfighter's demand for higher capacity, wideband satellite communications systems. It is the focus of this research to assist DoD in ascertaining the correct, affordable mix of DoD owned SATCOM and commercial SATCOM that can best meet the warfighter's growing information requirements. The Teledesic Wideband Satellite Communication System is examined for future integration into the DoD MILSATCOM architecture and its military applications. Failure to provide the requisite amounts of communications to the right users when and where required will prevent a full return on the investment in advanced weapons, sensor platforms and combat support systems. Recognizing this, DOD needs to make an investment in Teledesic and other information age throughput technologies.