Overview
Electronically steerable antenna (ESA) technology is transforming how we connect and share information across the world. Our antenna solutions are field-tested with more than 50 years of phased array design and manufacturing experience. Our antenna solutions provide unmatched flexibility to meet many use cases, enabling customizable and affordable ESAs for government, military, and commercial markets. We are bringing the power of ESA technology to today’s SATCOM challenges.
ESAs are software controlled to instantaneously track and connect mobile platforms to satellites across orbits, including geostationary (GEO), medium Earth orbit (MEO) and low Earth orbit (LEO). Our ESA technology is interoperable across satellite networks and can be adapted to land, air, and maritime platforms.
The Value of ESAs:
- Enabling low profile, multi-orbit terminal solutions for mobile platforms;
- Improving communication reliability by eliminating mechanical moving parts;
- Ensuring high performance communications by keeping mobile platforms locked onto the satellite in the most extreme environments;
- Enabling the next generation of LEO/MEO satellites;
- Delivering unobstructed 360-degree field of view (no boresight blind spot), supporting LEO satellite tracking from horizon to horizon;
- Reducing system cost and improving RF performance by eliminating the external radome; and
- Supporting communications requirements of today and tomorrow with a single future proof antenna.
Proven and Ready
BAE Systems is in production with multiple ESA terminals. Our terminals have been demonstrated on GEO and LEO networks, showcasing the flexibility and robust communication capabilities of the ESA to maintain links under highly dynamic maneuvers. Our software-defined antennas enable architecture to meet the network needs of today and tomorrow.
Our Ku-Band multi-orbit product was the first antenna to demonstrate multi-orbit operations on a commercial aircraft, showcasing high performance communication while switching between GEO and LEO satellites.
Because our antennas are fully electronic with no unique materials or complex assembly processes, the antennas can be assembled in volume, minimizing cost. The subarray architecture drives economies of scale for all users, with cost being driven down as volumes increase. The subarrays support both military and commercial use cases, including in-flight connectivity (IFC), communications on the move (COTM) and communications on the pause (COTP).
Ku- And Ka-Band SATCOM Antennas
BAE Systems Ku- and Ka-Band phased array antennas are fully electronic with no moving parts. The antennas are modem agnostic to support access to GEO, MEO, and LEO networks with a single antenna. The electronic steering provides beam speed and agility which support low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite tracking and makes the antenna ideal for mobile platforms. Our ESAs have an integrated radome, eliminating the cost, drag, and RF performance degradation of a separate radome.
The antennas are built using our innovative subarray antenna architecture. The subarray is an antenna building block that allows the transmit and receive antenna sizes to be optimized separately by tiling subarrays together to meet performance requirements. This modularity allows the antennas to be assembled in volume, minimizing cost and quickly scaling production.
The antenna offering has two sizes in both Ku and Ka-Band. The first multi-orbit antenna is optimized for high performance multi-orbit communications. This product is sized to maximize both GEO and LEO link performance. The second multi-orbit antenna is optimized for LEO constellations. This product is targeted at platforms that need a smaller footprint. This antenna provides maximum LEO network performance with lower GEO network performance.
Ku-Band Antennas - Click here to learn more about our Ku-band phased array antennas
Ka-Band Antennas - Click here to learn more about our Ka-band phased array antennas
SATCOM Ground Systems
When it comes to supporting an ever-increasing fleet of space assets and providing users with reliable network operations, we offer emerging and affordable technology that is ready for operation.
BAE Systems’ proven S- and L-band multibeam phased array technology helps address many challenges military and commercial customers are facing in modernizing ground antennas to meet the needs of tomorrow’s LEO, MEO, and GEO constellations.
Our leading-edge ESAs instantaneously track and connect with multiple live satellites via L/S band frequencies for commanding, telemetry and ranging.