Northrop Grumman to Create Constellation of Connectivity for Air Force Research Laboratory

Northrop Grumman creates constellation of connectivity for the Air Force Research Laboratory. Illustration (Credit: Northrop Grumman)

Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC) is working with the Air Force Research Laboratory to integrate commercial space internet into airborne platforms, advancing connectivity for warfighters and supporting the Department of Defense (DoD) vision for Joint All-Domain Command and Control.

This capability will:

• Enable the warfighter to securely share data and synchronize operations within milliseconds around the world.

• Use open architecture, configurable systems to rapidly integrate into airborne platforms and ground vehicles.

• Provide affordable options for resilient connectivity using commercial space internet constellations across multiple orbits.

Jenna Paukstis, vice president, communications solutions, Northrop Grumman, said: “Achieving decision dominance across domains is essential for the warfighter. We are at a pivotal moment to build a diverse network using commercial space internet that can be used on any platform globally.”

Dr. Brian Beal, principal aerospace engineer, Strategic Development Planning and Experimentation Office, Air Force Research Laboratory, added: “We need communications that will be available for the warfighter in any environment. This program will accelerate these technologies onto many platforms across the joint force because that’s how we fight and that’s how we want to operate.”

This Defense Experimentation Using Commercial Space Internet will provide the DoD with affordable, resilient solutions capable of operating in low earth orbit, medium earth orbit and geostationary earth orbit.

Northrop Grumman’s open systems processors and antenna solutions will be tested as part of this contract award to bring beyond line-of-sight capabilities to air and ground forces.