Wideband Global SATCOM (WGS)-11+ is a
Space and Missile Systems Center Pacesetter for the rapid application and
fielding of commercial technology. The SMC Production Corps and Portfolio
Architect’s Mission System Integration team jointly championed a successful
first-ever, cross-corps Systems Requirements Review (SRR) to help the
Government and Boeing reach a mutual agreement on a system performance
specification to satisfy warfighter needs quickly. The WGS program office,
leveraging enterprise partnerships and a collaborative culture with Army, Navy,
and Boeing systems engineers, worked closely together to ensure the system’s
technical baseline will maximize value to the warfighter on an aggressive
5-year schedule. The WGS team, embedded at the Boeing facility, has been able
to apply lessons learned from extensive testing performed by a similar
commercial space program utilizing the same digital payload technologies. With
SRR complete, the WGS-11+ team has initiated production and prototyping of
Pathfinder hardware units to reduce risk for the final production build on its
“Road to Preliminary Design Review” campaign.
WGS capability evolves significantly
with each generation of spacecraft. WGS-11+ adapts innovative technologies to
provide more coverage beams, more beam formed bandwidth and more frequency
re-use than heritage systems. WGS-11+ will be capable of forming unique
coverage areas anywhere within the field of regard—each sized optimally as
mission needs demand. The satellite will have much greater inherent resilience
to threats than prior vehicles.
“The resilient design will deliver
Combatant Commanders twice the mission capability through contested
environments—improving capacity and coverage to soldiers, sailors, airmen and
marines.” said Col. John Dukes, chief of the Geosynchronous/Polar Division, SMC
Production Corps.
The ability to provide seamless
broadband interconnectivity for X-band and Ka-band users, and features to
operate in a contested environment – provide the global responsiveness for US and
Allied Forces to support missions ranging from warfighting to humanitarian
relief efforts.
“WGS-11+ enhances operational
flexibility and performance to better serve the warfighter—the system will
provide more coverage beams than the entire existing WGS constellation,” said
Dr. Mark Peterson, WGS Aerospace Platform lead.
Additionally, the system remains a viable government host platform for rapid prototyping and additional enhancements with mission partners are being considered. “We’re excited to deliver this game-changing capability to the warfighter,” said Maj. Brandon Castillo, WGS-11+ program manager.
Source: U.S. Air Force
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