Feb 16, 2024
Viasat completes first broadband upgrade on military sealift fleet
Posted by Saúl Morales Rodriguéz in category: military
WASHINGTON — Viasat announced it completed the first satellite broadband upgrade on board a Military Sealift Command ship, and expects to update 105 vessels over the next year. The work is part of a $578 million contract that Inmarsat won in 2022 before it was acquired by rival satellite operator Viasat.
The U.S. Navy’s sealift organization, responsible for providing ocean transportation to the Department of Defense, operates a fleet of approximately 125 civilian-crewed ships that replenish Navy vessels at sea, transporting military equipment and personnel, and strategically positioning cargo around the world.
Viasat is revamping the ships’ satellite network from Ku-band to the company’s Global Xpress Ka-band and the ELERA L-band systems.