Hughes unveils beyond-line-of-sight SATCOM

Hughes has demonstrated a beyond-line-of-sight satellite transmission capability on a helicopter.

The demonstration involved 360-degree high-definition video transmitted through the whirling blades of a NorthStar Aviation 407 attack helicopter.

"This new advancement in SATCOM technology integrates the Hughes HM200 airborne modem and two lightweight antennas mounted on top of the helicopter's weapons platforms via an easy roll-on/roll-off installation," a Hughes news release said. "As a new lightweight capability — 50% lighter than previous systems — it can be adapted to any helicopter platform given its low Size, Weight and Power (SWaP) properties, giving pilots more flexibility and uninterrupted transmission of full motion HD video over a full 360-degree range."

"As a roll-on/roll-off system, the two antennas seamlessly hand-off the satellite signal based on aircraft position, with little to no feed interruption," said Wayne Marhefka, senior director at Hughes Defense and Intelligence Systems. "Customers requiring real time SATCOM on helicopters will no longer have to worry about aircraft positioning in order to stream HD video or other data."

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