Thales and SES have successfully demonstrated the compatibility of Thales's Modem21 system with SES's Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) satellite constellation, O3b mPOWER.
Traditionally, Modem21 has been utilized in sovereign, ultra-resilient geostationary satellites, providing secure, high-data-rate military satellite communications with robust jamming protection. This recent demonstration confirms Modem21's capability to operate with non-geostationary MEO satellites, paving the way for hybrid solutions that combine ultra-secure communications from geostationary military satellites with commercial MEO constellations. Such configurations offer enhanced security and anti-jamming performance.
Alexandre Bottero, Vice President of Networks and Infrastructure Systems at Thales, stated that this multi-orbit compatibility underscores the feasibility of future hybrid satellite solutions for armed forces, meeting the stringent security and jamming protection requirements of military operations. Roy Sielaff, Vice President of Space & Defence Europe at SES, emphasized that aligning efforts with technology partners ensures government customers maintain full control of their networks while achieving high levels of technical performance and security.
Hybridizing sovereign and commercial satellite communications presents significant opportunities for armed forces to enhance connectivity. The successful operation of Modem21 with SES's MEO constellation marks a step forward in developing capabilities within hybrid, multi-band, multi-operator environments to meet evolving military needs.