Mary-Louise Hoffman
Northrop Grumman has started to integrate two downlink phased array antennas into the payload of a fourth advanced extremely high frequency military communications satellite being built by Lockheed Martin.
The companies are working together to integrate the AEHF satellite payload under a hybrid integration framework, Northrop said Tuesday.
Northrop designed the AEHF antennas to operate at frequencies of up to 20 gigahertz in space and deliver satellite connectivity for both mobile and fixed-site terminals.
AEHF payloads are built with anti-jam technology and work to transmit communication signals by using uplink and downlink phased array units, according to Northrop.
Lockheed is the prime contractor for the AEHF program, which aims to secure communications among ground-, sea- and air-based warfighters.
The AEHF satellite network is built for military users in the U.S., Canada, U.K. and Netherlands.
