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Communications Capability News

24 Jun 2021

Final Autonomous Minehunting Boat Delivered to UK Royal Navy

(Photo: UK Royal Navy)

The British Royal Navy said it has taken delivery of its third and final autonomous minehunting boat.RNMB Hebe, named after the ancient Greek goddess of youth, joins sister vessels Harrier and Hazard as part of the Royal Navy’s crewless minehunting program Project Wilton. Together, the three vessels are key components in the future of minehunting operations for the navy. The boats are capable of working in different configurations – manually, remotely or autonomously – to detect…

15 Feb 2021

Autonomy: Inside the Building of Ocean Infinity’s Armada Fleet

Image Courtesy Ocean Infinity

Back in 2017, Ocean Infinity made a novel move; deploying six autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), instead of just one, from a single vessel, vastly increasing the ground that could be covered in a single survey. Now the firm is taking the use of remote, robotic systems a significant step further.Back in 2017, Ocean Infinity made a novel move; deploying six autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), instead of just one, from a single vessel, vastly increasing the ground that could be covered in a single survey.

03 Feb 2020

BAE Systems Wins Navy Contract

British multinational BAE Systems was awarded a pair of contracts worth $300 million that will support the Navy in digital endeavors.The first is a $212 million contract from the Navy’s Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division to integrate and sustain critical communications systems. As per contract, BAE will design, acquire, integrate and test radio systems for new guided missile destroyers specifically, as well as other unspecified Navy and Coast Guard ships.Additionally, the company was awarded a separate $104.7 million contract by NAWCAD to provide engineering and technical services to support production, lifetime-support, and in-service engineering for the radio communications C5ISR (command…

03 Sep 2015

USN's Fourth MUOS Satellite Launched

After a two-day delay due to tropical storm conditions, the Navy's fourth Mobile User Objective System (MUOS) satellite launched at 6:18 a.m. EDT from Space Launch Complex 41. MUOS-4, whose signal was acquired approximately three hours after launch, completes the initial operational constellation and provides near global network coverage for warfighters and combatant commanders. This array allows mobile forces, including submarines, surface ships and aircraft, to communicate around the world via the narrowband spectrum. User communities that will primarily benefit include ground forces at the individual soldier level but also include members of all services and special forces.

22 Jan 2015

Navy Communications Satellite Launched

The Navy's third Mobile User Objective System (MUOS) satellite was launched today at 8:04 p.m. EST from Space Launch Complex 41. This communications satellite will significantly improve capability for Navy and Department of Defense tactical operators. Over the next several days, the satellite will transition to its geosynchronous orbit location 22,000 miles above Earth. Its solar arrays and mesh antennas will then be deployed and on-orbit testing will begin for eventual commissioning into service. Upon acceptance for operational use, MUOS 3 along with MUOS 1 and 2 already on-orbit, will provide communications coverage to more than three-quarters of the globe.

31 Dec 2014

US Navy Prepares for Communications Satellite Launch

U.S. Navy photo by Rick Naystatt

U.S. Navy military and civilian engineers are preparing the latest military communications satellite for a planned Jan. 20 launch from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida. The satellite is part of MUOS, or Mobile User Objective System, which operates like a smartphone network from space, vastly improving secure satellite communications for mobile U.S. forces. Unlike its predecessor system, MUOS provides users a global, on-demand, beyond-line-of-sight capability to transmit and receive high-quality voice and mission data from a high-speed Internet Protocol-based system.

21 Aug 2014

Injured Crewman Medevaced from S.Korean Icebreaker

A man suffering from a head injury walks toward an ambulance after being medevaced from a South Korean icebreaker by a Coast Guard MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew to Barrow, Alaska, Aug. 20, 2014. (USCG photo)

A U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter medevaced a crewmember suffering from a head injury from the South Korean research icebreaker Araon 250 miles north of Barrow, Wednesday. Watch a video of the rescue here. The helicopter crew, forward deployed to Barrow in anticipation of the forward operating location opening on Thursday, safely hoisted the 43-year-old male from the Araon and transported him to emergency medical personnel in Barrow. Coast Guard 17th District command center watchstanders received the medevac request from the crew of the Araon Tuesday afternoon.

28 Jul 2014

NAVSEA Receives 3 DoD Value Engineering Awards

Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) was recently announced as the winner of three fiscal year 2013 Department of Defense (DoD) Value Engineering Achievement Awards. Value engineering is DoD's effort to continually analyze defense organizations, facilities, and processes to achieve essential functions and products at the lowest cost consistent with required performance, reliability, quality and safety. Naval Surface Warfare Center Crane employee Bernie Sexton was honored with an individual award for his work as the Interference Cancellation System (INCANS) lead engineer as part of the Airborne Electronic Attack fleet support team. INCANS provides for communications capability during electronic jamming operations.

10 Jan 2014

More than 100 USCG Vessels Install KVH mini-VSAT

A fast-response cutter of the U.S. Coast Guard is one of several classes of cutters with KVH’s mini-VSAT Broadband systems onboard as the connectivity solution.

The ongoing maritime VSAT installations are part of KVH’s 10-year contract with the U.S. KVH Industries, Inc., said it has surpassed the 100-vessel mark in its 10-year contract to supply the next-generation satellite communications solution for the U.S. Coast Guard’s fleet of small cutters. To date, KVH’s TracPhone V7  systems have been deployed on 105 USCG vessels across eight different classes of cutters, and KVH’s mini-VSAT Broadband service has provided 29.2 terabytes of data and more than 835,000 Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) minutes.

10 Oct 2008

Navy Awards Harris Corporation $37m Contract Modification

Harris Corporation has been awarded a potential $37m contract modification by the U.S. Navy Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command, San Diego, California, to supply additional multiband shipboard satellite communications terminals for Navy's Arleigh Burke DDG-51 class of guided missile destroyers. The modification is part of a contract originally awarded to the company in 2000, and increases the overall potential value of the contract to more than $172m by 2010. Under terms of the contract, Harris is responsible for systems integration, production, and logistics support for the AN/WSC-6(V)9 Super High Frequency Multiband Shipboard Satellite Communications Terminal (MSSCT).

11 Sep 2008

Regulation of Ship Design and Construction

Ship failures — such as the breaking up and sinking of Prestige — often result in design improvements.

It is often said that humans learn more from their failures than from their successes. While the saying may be an exaggeration, there have certainly been a number of failures in the design and construction of ships that have resulted in improvements of future efforts. Some of those improvements have been forced on the marine industry by government regulation. More often, though, government regulation has been utilized to ensure that all players implement needful improvements that have been voluntarily adopted by forward-thinking companies.

12 Jun 2002

MSC Kicks Off Crisis Response Exercise

combat equipment and supplies at four commercial ports throughout Europe. armed forces to continental Europe. In the event of a major mobilization of U.S. military cargo overseas, 95 percent would be deployed by sea. At MSC Europe, naval reservists support sealift requirements throughout the year and are key players during wartime or other contingencies. with sealift operations wherever needed. During this exercise, port offices were established at Rota, Spain; Bremerhaven, Germany; Augusta Bay, Italy; Livorno, Italy; and Rotterdam, The Netherlands. wide-variety of functions to support MSC ships, such as on-load and off-load operations, shore services, ship repairs and on-site personnel support.

15 Jun 2005

ViaSat Wins $61M Contract

System-Low Volume Terminals (MIDS-LVTs). The MIDS-LVT provides secure, high capacity, jam resistant, digital data and voice communications capability for the Navy, Air Force and Army platforms. This delivery order combines purchases for the U.S. (98 percent) and the government of Japan (2 percent) under the Foreign Military Sales Program. the end of the current fiscal year. Work will be performed in Carlsbad, Calif., (30 percent), in various other sites worldwide (70 percent), and is expected to be completed by May 2007. This delivery order was competitively procured with two proposals solicited and two offers received via the SPAWAR E-commerce web site. The synopsis was released via the Federal Business Opportunities web site.

24 Jul 2007

FL Coast Guard Gets New Boat

The US Coast Guard's Fort Myers Beach station received a 33 foot, special purpose law enforcement craft. The boat purchase is part of a joint program with the Department of Homeland Security. The craft is a 33-foot aluminum mono-hull with a 10-ft. beam and foam collar. It is powered by three 275-hp engines capable of speeds in excess of 50 knots and is capable of operating more than 30 miles from shore. It is equipped with a state-of-the-art navigation system and secure communications capability. Coast Guard crews will receive three days of boat familiarization training conducted by SAFE Boats International, as well as shore-based non-compliant vessel pursuit tactics training conducted by CBP. This is the first 33-ft. SPC-LE Sector St. Petersburg has received.

23 Dec 2002

Data Link Solutions Wins Navy Comm Deal

contract. capability for U.S. Navy ships. adjustment is available through Feb. quantities that may be added. contract to $16,190,498. Work will be performed in Wayne, N.J. April 2005. current fiscal year. Federal Business Opportunities web site. activity (N00039-03-C-0008).

21 Feb 2003

Safety: Onboard & Living Large

No one ever said that working on the inland rivers or in the Gulf of Mexico on a vessel was a picnic. It is axiomatic that the hours are long, the work physically demanding and the workplace environment potentially dangerous. That is why newer deliveries emphasize crew habitability. Vessel owners and operators know that well-rested and well-fed crews are safer crews and safety cannot be over emphasized in this severe setting. That is why there has been a significant upgrading in crew accommodations, galleys and entertainment and communications options. The three workboats profiled below offer proof positive that today's "crew friendly" boats are safer and more enjoyable places to work. No vessel type has more personnel on board than a crew boat.

25 Aug 1999

Interagency Task Force on USCG Roles and Missions

By an Executive Order, President Clinton formally established an Interagency Task Force to review the roles and missions of the USCG through the year 2020. The impetus for the task force was the USCG's request for substantial federal investment to replace the agency's aging deepwater vessel and aircraft assets with new cutters, aircraft, sensor infrastructure, and an integrated command, control, and communications capability. A principal usage of the task force's recommendations will be to determine the appropriate level of investment in this initiative, called the Deepwater Capability Replacement Project. The task forces examination of USCG roles and missions will be a comprehensive one, however.