The Navy has begun procuring the next generation commercial satellite communications terminals to augment its military satellite communications. The procurement is designed to significantly increase throughput to ships at sea. Throughput is the amount of data transferred in a specific amount of time, usually expressed as bits per second.
The Commercial Broadband Satellite Program (CBSP) is sponsored by the Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development and Acquisition (ASN (RD&A)) and executed by the Communications Program Office within the Navy's Program Executive Office for Command, Control, Communications, Computers and Intelligence (C4I).
The CBSP is a rapid deployment capability (RDC) acquisition to expedite replacement of Inmarsat B high speed data (HSD) channel and Commercial Wideband SATCOM Program (CWSP) capabilities. The current RDC fielding requirement is to install CBSP terminals on up to 49 ships.
Navy ships currently use Inmarsat B HSD (128 kbps) or CWSP (2.048 Mbps). CBSP terminals will be capable of delivering up to a near tenfold increase in throughput from 881 kbps for the small ship variant (SSV)-equipped ships to 21.6 Mbps for the force level variant (FLV)-equipped ships.
Throughput received by individual fleet units will depend on each ship's actual satellite allocation of CBSP bandwidth, which will be procured by PEO C4I in coordination with the Defense Information Systems Agency.
The increased throughput capability will enable ships to transmit voice, video and data faster and in greater volume. Additionally, the quality of life for Sailors will be increased by their ability to communicate using wideband SATCOM.
Chris Miller, who heads PEO C4I, the organization charged with acquiring, installing, and supporting communications and information technology systems for the Navy said, "Our warfighters need the added capability in order to ensure decision superiority — the ability to make informed decisions in critical situations — faster than the enemy."
According to Navy Capt. John W. Pope III, communications program manager, the Navy is acquiring three variants of the commercial terminals, depending on the size and mission of the ship for which it is destined.
"Each terminal variant is capable of receiving differing satellite spectrum bands depending on their use," said Pope. "The SSV is a Ku-band terminal intended for ships operating in littoral waters. The unit level variant (ULV) terminal will be commercial X and Ku capable and will be the size and weight to fit on unit level ships. The FLV terminal will access the C and Ku satellites and will be large enough to provide high data rate to force level ships."
Pope said his program office's goal is to deliver the capability as quickly as possible while balancing cost, schedule and performance, in addition to the challenges inherent in an RDC acquisition.
"This program plays a key role in the Navy's SATCOM roadmap strategy as we consolidate from five SATCOM terminal programs of record to two: CBSP and the Navy Multiband Terminal. This effort should allow the Navy to take advantage of newer technology and reduce overall life cycle costs."
The Navy recently completed a developmental test and quick reaction assessment of the first CBSP terminal, installed aboard the mine countermeasures ship USS Champion (MCM 4), under the command of Navy Lt. Cmdr. John Callaway.
"CBSP SSV is a significant improvement in capability and reliability," said Callaway. "It's the first time I have been able to surf the SIPRNET while at sea."
The increased bandwidth provided by CBSP was welcomed by Information Systems Technician Senior Chief (Surface Warfare) Jim Crewse, USS Champion communications division chief.
"Overall the system has been performing great and had added capability and performance for the ship," explained Crewse.
According to Melinda Ratz, the assistant program manager for CBSP, the Navy's first priority is to install CBSP terminals on the most "bandwidth disadvantaged" users, a group that includes frigates, mine countermeasure ships and coastal patrol ships.
"Additional SSV terminals were ordered after the successful developmental testing and quick reaction assessment aboard USS Champion for installations beginning as early as September," Ratz said.
"ULV terminals are being produced for installation and testing in spring 2009 to ensure the frigates receive this mission essential capability. The next priority will be to install CBSP on force level ships to replace CWSP."
PEO C4I acquires, fields, and supports C4I systems that extend across Navy, joint, and coalition platforms. Supported by Team SPAWAR and industry partners, PEO C4I annually completes more than 2,000 C4I installations to fleet and coalition customers.
For more information about PEO C4I, go to www.peoc4i.navy.mil.