Military satellite
Encyclopedia
A military satellite is an artificial satellite used for a military
purpose, often for gathering intelligence
, as a communications satellite
used for military purposes, or as a military weapon
.
A satellite by itself is neither military nor civil. It is the kind of payload it carries that enables one to arrive at a decision regarding its military or civilian character.Ref N-1 Nevertheless, even the above distinction is now blurred. For example, a civilian satellite can carry military transponders and vice versa. Civil commercial satellites are also known to carry out military tasks including enabling military communications, imagery etc. At the same time, military satellites like the NAVSTAR GPS have more civilian users than military users. In spite of the above possibilities, satellites which have purely military uses are known as military satellites.
Signal latency is a major concern in satellite communications, so geographic and meteorological factors play an important role in choosing teleports. Since some of the major military activities of the U.S. army is in foreign territories, the U.S. government needs to subcontract satellite services to foreign carriers headquartered in areas with favorable climate.
Military Strategic and Tactical Relay or MILSTAR is a constellation of military satellites managed by the United States Air Force. There are currently five MILSTAR satellites deployed in the geostationary orbit to provide wideband, narrowband and protected military communication systems. Wideband systems support high-bandwidth transfers. Protected systems offer more sophisticated security protection like antijam features and nuclear survivability, while narrowband systems are intended for basic communications services that do not require high bandwidth.
, (trad. Robert J. Amral), « Gulf War
: Military satellites, the Lesson », in Revue aerospatiale
, n°79, June 1991.
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Military
A military is an organization authorized by its greater society to use lethal force, usually including use of weapons, in defending its country by combating actual or perceived threats. The military may have additional functions of use to its greater society, such as advancing a political agenda e.g...
purpose, often for gathering intelligence
Intelligence (information gathering)
Intelligence assessment is the development of forecasts of behaviour or recommended courses of action to the leadership of an organization, based on a wide range of available information sources both overt and covert. Assessments are developed in response to requirements declared by the leadership...
, as a communications satellite
Communications satellite
A communications satellite is an artificial satellite stationed in space for the purpose of telecommunications...
used for military purposes, or as a military weapon
Weapon
A weapon, arm, or armament is a tool or instrument used with the aim of causing damage or harm to living beings or artificial structures or systems...
.
Description
- Star Wars programStrategic Defense InitiativeThe Strategic Defense Initiative was proposed by U.S. President Ronald Reagan on March 23, 1983 to use ground and space-based systems to protect the United States from attack by strategic nuclear ballistic missiles. The initiative focused on strategic defense rather than the prior strategic...
A satellite by itself is neither military nor civil. It is the kind of payload it carries that enables one to arrive at a decision regarding its military or civilian character.Ref N-1 Nevertheless, even the above distinction is now blurred. For example, a civilian satellite can carry military transponders and vice versa. Civil commercial satellites are also known to carry out military tasks including enabling military communications, imagery etc. At the same time, military satellites like the NAVSTAR GPS have more civilian users than military users. In spite of the above possibilities, satellites which have purely military uses are known as military satellites.
Military Satellite Industry
The demand for military satellite communications as of 2009 is estimated at 390 TPEs for C-, Ku-, and Ka-bands. Futron projects a 300-unit increase through 2019, or 5.6 percent growth rate per annum over ten years. The demand for military satellite communications in 2009 is estimated at 16 Gbps, it is expected to grow to 28Gbps in 2019. The US poses the largest demand for military satellites. Demand from international security forces is growing as well, especially from NATO states and the Middle East. Military satellites is becoming more indispensable in theater of operations as well as "home country" use for training, data redistribution and backhaul.Use in U.S. Armed Forces
The U.S. Armed Forces maintains international networks of satellites with ground stations located in various continents.Signal latency is a major concern in satellite communications, so geographic and meteorological factors play an important role in choosing teleports. Since some of the major military activities of the U.S. army is in foreign territories, the U.S. government needs to subcontract satellite services to foreign carriers headquartered in areas with favorable climate.
Military Strategic and Tactical Relay or MILSTAR is a constellation of military satellites managed by the United States Air Force. There are currently five MILSTAR satellites deployed in the geostationary orbit to provide wideband, narrowband and protected military communication systems. Wideband systems support high-bandwidth transfers. Protected systems offer more sophisticated security protection like antijam features and nuclear survivability, while narrowband systems are intended for basic communications services that do not require high bandwidth.
Resources
Guy LebègueGuy Lebègue
Guy Lebègue, is a French engineer in the space domain, graduated from École centrale Paris, alumni 1962.He is the inventor of the name Spacebus, the largest series of European communications satellite sold all over the world, with a total business revenue over 8 G€ .-Short Biography:During his 18...
, (trad. Robert J. Amral), « Gulf War
Gulf War
The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
: Military satellites, the Lesson », in Revue aerospatiale
Revue aerospatiale
Revue aerospatiale was a monthly magazine published by the French aerospace company Aérospatiale.-History:Aérospatiale created the magazine Aérospatiale in January 1970 as part of its public relations effort. The publication was, to start, a monthly, and was edited by PEMA-2B...
, n°79, June 1991.
- Squadron Leader KK Nair, "Space: The Frontiers of Modern Defence", Knowledge World Publishers, New Delhi.
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External links
- N-1 For details, see Space: The Frontiers of Modern Defence