NATO approves upgraded satellite control software
NewsAugust 08, 2018
CARLSBAD, Calif. Communications company Viasat announced that its commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) Visual Integrated Satellite Communications Information, Operation and Networking (VISION) software has successfully passed NATO's First Article System Test (FAST).
The software's testing and approval means that NATO can expedite the rollout of its ultra-high-frequency (UHF) satellite communications (SATCOM) modernization efforts.
NATO is on the path to fully upgrading its legacy UHF communications network to Viasat's VISION planning and network management platform; VISION is the first commercially available software package to simultaneously support all 25-kHz legacy Demand-Assigned Multiple-Access (DAMA) and next-generation Integrated Waveform (IW) networks and services.
According to information from Viasat, the VISION platform provides a single, user-friendly network management interface for legacy DAMA and IW services, enables local or remote management and control ofground station networks, monitors status and system performance, tracks event/alarm management situations, and allows for addition or removal of services when missions change. Viasat officials say that by enabling interoperability between DAMA and IW platforms, NATO's use of VISION can double its channel efficiency without additional investment in the UHF space segment; this upgrade will double the number of users, giving more warfighters access to reliable, high-quality, resilient voice and data communications.
