Army weighs commercial options for battlefield comms • Space Command D.C. boss introduced • DoD eyes space-based missile defense

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Leading a new effort to improve connectivity for Army units is Maj. Gen. David Bassett, program executive officer for command, control, and communications-tactical, or PEO C3T.

SN Military.Space Air Force Space CommandMilitary SpaceU.S. Army
Kestreloriginal

Army’s imaging satellite up and running, but its future is TBD

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The Army would use small satellites to support tactical imagery needs in the field.

Missions SatelliteU.S. Army
Army Kestrel Eye

With Kestrel Eye satellite on deck for deployment, Army gears up for direct-tasking exercises

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The U.S. Army’s experimental Kestrel Eye is scheduled to deploy Oct. 24 from the International Space Station to begin a two-year mission testing how the small satellite can speed the delivery of time-sensitive overhead imagery to soldiers on the ground

Missions Kestrel Eyeremote sensingU.S. Army
James Mingus, director of the Army’s Mission Command Center of Excellence (left) and John Morrison, Jr., commanding general for the Army’s Cyber Center of Excellence, at the AUSA conference on Washington. Credit: SpaceNews/Caleb Henry

Army wants “adapt and buy” approach to speed telecom acquisition

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The U.S. Army wants to accelerate its network modernization programs by making greater use of commercial telecommunications technology.

Missions Satellite TelecomU.S. Army
Maj. Gen. Bruce Crawford, Commander of the U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Command, and Brig. Gen. Paul Rogers, Deputy Commander of the 46th Military Police Command discuss the future opportunities to expand the Michigan National Guard capabilities across the state during Exercise Northern Strike 17 Aug. 8, 2017. Northern Strike 17 is a National Guard Bureau-sponsored exercise uniting approximately 5,000 service members from 13 states and five coalition countries during the first two weeks of August 2017 at the Camp Grayling Joint Maneuver Training Center and the Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center, both located in northern Michigan and operated by the Michigan National Guard. The newly accredited Northern Strike demonstrates the Michigan National Guard’s ability to provide accessible, readiness-building opportunities for military units from all service branches to achieve and sustain proficiency in conducting mission command, air, sea and ground maneuver integration, together with synchronization of fires in a joint, multinational, decisive action environment. (Michigan National Guard photo by Spc. Alan Prince)

Army seeks fixes to vulnerable satellite communications

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U.S. Army officials went to Capitol Hill this week seeking lawmakers’ approval to stop buying satellite communications systems that are susceptible to jamming and shift funds to more modern alternatives.

Missions CongressSatellite TelecomU.S. ArmyWIN-T
Kestrel Eye

U.S. Army prepares to launch Kestrel Eye satellite atop Falcon 9

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The U.S. Army is set to launch its Kestrel Eye electro-optical technology demonstration microsatellite Aug. 14 atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.

Launch Missions U.S. Army