EMS Defense & Space (D&S), a division of EMS Technologies, received a contract from SAIC to provide an X-band SATCOM antenna system for the RC-12, the U.S. military version of the Super King Air 200.
Under the terms of the contract, EMS D&S will convert the Wavestorm GS-X antenna to an airborne version, the Wavestorm AS-X, and provide the antenna subsystem including the slot array antenna aperture, antenna control unit, positioner, RF electronics, autonomous navigation and stabilization and installation support. EMS’s Wavestorm GS-X antenna was developed as a ground-based SATCOM antenna to support wideband communications requirements for systems transmitting across the various X-band constellations including XTAR, Skynet and Wideband Global Satcom.
“We are very impressed with the performance of EMS’s antenna system,” says Michael Johnson, program manager, SAIC. “The antenna has undergone several demonstrations that prove it can exceed our data rate requirements and can be rapidly fielded by the military in support of urgent warfighter needs.”
SAIC is scheduled to begin flying the Wavestorm AS-X on an RC-12 aircraft in April 2011.