Hughes Network Systems recently delivered its first HM400 satellite communication (satcom) modems to General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc (GA-ASI) for use on the company’s MQ-9B SkyGuardian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), according to a company statement.
Rick Lober, vice-president and general manager of Hughes Defense & Intelligence Systems, told Jane’s on 25 February that the company will deliver additional modems every few months under the United Kingdom’s Protector programme production contract. The HM400 is a specialised, multiband modem that delivers up to 45 Mbps of throughput, which he called an industry-leading speed for UAVs. Lober said roughly 20 units are on order for various international customers including the UK.
Hughes Network Systems recently delivered its first HM400 modems to GA-ASI for use on the MQ-9B SkyGuardian UAVs. (Hughes Network Systems)
Lober believes the HM400 is better than competing modems because it has smaller size, weight, and power (SWaP) requirements, allowing the UAV to better allocate power and fuel for mission efficiency. This also means the unit can fit smaller UAVs such as Class 2 and Class 3 aircraft. He said the HM400’s interfaces and packaging were customised for use with the MQ-9B.
The HM400’s specialised waveform leverages open architecture (OA), which Lober said allows it to be used with any qualified system components that are suited to meeting mission requirements. It works with the X-, Ka-, and Ku- frequency bands and can quickly reacquire a signal after the aircraft banks and then stabilises.
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