Quadsat has worked with NATO NCIA to perform a measurement campaign to verify US Space Force’s Wideband Global Satcom (WGS) compliance. Following on from Quadsat’s inclusion in the 2023 NATO DIANA programme, this measurement campaign is intended to validate the applicability of Quadsat’s drone-based RF measurement system to undertake military standard testing. Taking place in Den Haag, Quadsat was able to perform important measurements required for WGS compliance. This included a number of wide-angle Azimuth antenna pattern measurements, elevation patterns and 3D pattern measurements, as well as measuring G/T.
The Quadsat system uses a UAV and customized RF payload to perform precise and adaptable antenna validation. It includes bespoke software that is able to provide standardized reporting, covering a range of different measurements. DIANA (Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic) is a customized commercial and defence-focused accelerator program that asks for innovator’s help in solving critical challenges. As part of the program, DIANA works directly with the selected companies, helping them to test those ideas.
The NATO Communications and Information Agency SATCOM representative, who participated to the tests, commented: “Ensuring satellite antennas meet stringent military requirements is absolutely vital to keeping our communication lines clean and free from errors. However, performing these tests can be challenging, time-consuming, and costly. This campaign has proven the feasibility to carry out challenging complex antenna’s international MILSATCOM standards measurements in-situ and in a short time-frame.”
Joakim Espeland, CEO, Quadsat, added: “This measurement campaign with NATO NCIA was extremely successful, showing our ability to confirm WGS compliance. I hope this will lead to our system being validated for use as a means of WGS certification. Thanks to our recently established, and growing, service partner network, this means that the military will be able to perform these measurements and approvals much faster and more cost-efficiently than is possible today.”
The Quadsat team attended the SIA’s 20th Annual DoD Commercial SATCOM Workshop from 16th – 18th December in Arlington.
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