On Tuesday, September 22, Boeing’s drone subsidiary Insitu announced a successful test of a military drone utilizing low Earth orbit satellite communication in partnership with aviation Wi-Fi provider Gogo. With the increasing demand for battlefield communication, this development highlights governments and defense companies globally accelerating efforts to diversify communication equipment and reduce reliance on a single satellite network.
As drones become a strategic core in conflicts like the Russia-Ukraine war and the US-Iran conflict, armed forces worldwide are pursuing unmanned aerial vehicles for long-range operations with enhanced anti-interference capabilities. Traditional line of sight radio links are no longer sufficient for military’s extended operation needs, making low orbit satellite networks a viable solution.
Furthermore, some European countries and US Department of Defense officials have expressed concerns over the strategic risks of relying too heavily on a single satellite communication provider, emphasizing the need to introduce more suppliers to mitigate risks.
To meet the military’s diversification needs, Gogo’s division Gogo Special Missions, responsible for military and government business, collaborated with Insitu to successfully integrate Gogo’s Galileo HDX antenna onto Insitu’s Integrator drone.
This medium-sized Group 3 UAS system is primarily intended for surveillance and reconnaissance missions by the military.
The strategic advantage of this system lies in providing the Integrator drone with high-speed global internet through the OneWeb low Earth orbit satellite network under European satellite communication company Eutelsat, avoiding constraints from the US International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), simplifying export procedures for international allies and global customers.
John Kelly, Vice President of Business Development at Insitu, stated, “The Integrator drone system offers theater-level range and multi-payload capabilities. It enhances high-speed satellite communication options not restricted by ITAR, which is a core capability for our global customers.”
He added, “This technology not only extends the command and control range of drones but also allows seamless real-time transmission of battlefield sensor data with minimal latency. We are pleased to collaborate with Gogo to provide a comprehensive solution covering drone equipment, satellite services, and 24/7 support.”
Ben Massey, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Gogo Special Missions, explained that the collaboration allows Gogo to enhance the Galileo HDX antenna to address the rapidly growing market for Group 3 drones. “Customers now only need a single module configuration to access global high-speed network through OneWeb, a subsidiary of Eutelsat.”
In this month’s live testing, the two companies completed customizations of the Galileo HDX antenna and integration compatibility testing with FLARES Vertical Take-Off and Landing System (FLARES VTOL).
The advantage of this system is that it doesn’t require structural modifications to the aircraft, enabling the Integrator drone to take off in harsh conditions like high sea states and strong winds with minimal deck space, significantly expanding the drone’s deployment capabilities in challenging battlefield environments.
Gogo and Insitu have yet to disclose the deployment timeline for this system.