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by Staff Writers Huntington Beach CA (SPX) Jan 31, 2013
Boeing recently achieved two important milestones on the U.S. Air Force Family of Advanced Beyond Line-of-Sight Terminal (FAB-T) program, which will provide protected wideband satellite communications among ground and airborne terminals for the command and control of U.S. nuclear forces. The Boeing FAB-T team has completed software qualification testing and systems integration testing on the FAB-T development program. The team also has demonstrated FAB-T's integration with the Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) and Milstar mission control subsystem, which commands both satellite constellations. Conducted in Boeing's factory, this test validated FAB-T's ability to control strategic satellite communications payloads on orbit. The AEHF and Milstar satellite constellations will relay FAB-T communications once FAB-T is operational. "With these significant achievements, Boeing has demonstrated via formal software qualification testing and informal system level integration testing that the Boeing design meets FAB-T's functional and performance requirements," said Paul Geery, Boeing vice president and FAB-T program manager. "We've also demonstrated AEHF spacecraft control, which is critical to FAB-T's mission. Our effort is the only industry offering that has demonstrated this capability. "FAB-T will enable the Air Force to perform all satellite control functions, including setting up networks, establishing user traffic priorities, and scheduling satellite beams." During testing, FAB-T also transmitted data using both low-data-rate and extended-data-rate (XDR) communications protocols. The system's advanced XDR capability offers Internet-like functionality and improved speed compared with earlier systems and software. In April 2012, Boeing and the Air Force agreed on a set of additional FAB-T capabilities, including Presidential and National Voice Conferencing, to be developed under Boeing's firm fixed-price contract. The Boeing team has implemented those capabilities and expects to enter functional qualification testing early this year.
Related Links Boeing Read the latest in Military Space Communications Technology at SpaceWar.com
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