Boeing and the U.S. Navy completed a successful in-flight demonstration of a satellite communications (SATCOM) system on a Navy EA-18G Growler, the aerospace manufacturer announced Wednesday.
The system would allow F/A-18E/F Super Hornet aircrews to engage in secure two-way voice and data communications with other SATCOM-enabled aircraft, ships, ground forces and command centers, Boeing said.
The in-flight testing occurred May 23-30 at the Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division’s Advanced Weapons Lab at China Lake, Calif. The aircrew conducted satellite-enabled secure voice and data transmissions with ground-based teams at China Lake and at the Naval Air Station in Patuxent River, Md.
“Using the existing EA-18G architecture allowed Boeing and the Navy to demonstrate this capability less than 90 days after the initial request,” Mike Gibbons, vice president of Boeing F/A-18 and EA-18 Programs said in a press release. “This approach significantly reduced risk, cost and testing schedule, while demonstrating this important communications capability for the Navy.”