The challenge
Modern tactical UAV missions increasingly operate beyond traditional line-of-sight radio. Operators require resilient command-and-control, telemetry and mission-data connectivity throughout every phase of flight while minimizing payload weight, power consumption and satellite bandwidth.
- LOS radio limits operational range and mission flexibility.
- Conventional airborne SATCOM terminals are often too large, heavy and power-hungry for tactical UAVs.
- Managing multiple UAVs simultaneously consumes significant communications resources.
- Mission phases require different communications profiles, from low-rate telemetry to high-rate imagery and video.
The HiSKY solution
HiSKY combines compact, low-SWaP Ka/Ku satellite terminals with a customer-controlled GEO satellite network. Space Control (NMS) manages the terminals and satellite capacity centrally, supporting telemetry, imagery and video as communications requirements change.
- Compact terminals designed around constrained size, weight and power budgets.
- Satellite capacity managed around changing communications needs.
- Centralized network and terminal monitoring.
- An end-to-end private network under customer control.
What the solution enables
Connectivity
Persistent BLOS satellite connectivity instead of LOS-limited links.
UAV management
Centralized swarm management instead of independent links.
Bandwidth
Dynamic mission-based allocation instead of static allocation.
Mission data
Telemetry, imagery and live video over one managed architecture.