The US Space Force has awarded Northrop Grumman a contract to build a prototype communications satellite, intended for demonstration of jamming protection technologies during military operations in the conditions of electronic warfare. The agreement supports the Enhanced Protected Tactical Satellite Communications-Prototype program (Enhanced PTS-P), which is part of a broader effort to develop more sustainable satellite communications systems, able to work in conditions of electronic warfare and cyber attacks. The launch of the satellite is planned not earlier 2030 year.
Northrop Grumman designed a spacecraft based on its ESPAStar-HP platform, intended for national security missions and commercial missions. Enhanced PTS-P program efforts focus on testing anti-jamming and cyber resilience technologies, which will become the basis for future purchases of protected military satellite communication systems. These demos are aimed at testing the Protected Tactical Waveform (PTW) — encrypted communication technologies, which ensures a stable connection even in case of adversary jamming attempts, intercept or block satellite channels. PTW uses fast frequency hopping, encryption and advanced coding techniques, to make transmissions more difficult to detect or interfere with.
Recently, the Pentagon has increasingly focused on sustainable communication architectures, as military planners prepare for scenarios, in which US satellites may be subject to sustained electronic and cyber attacks. Виконувачка обов’язків керівника портфеля програм Космічних сил із супутникового зв’язку, positioning, навігації та синхронізації часу Ерін Карпер зазначила, що Enhanced PTS-P є важливим кроком у наданні Об’єднаним силам більш стійких і захищених можливостей зв’язку.
Source: https://spacenews.com