Compatible with all types of aircraft, including UAVs

Astrium has  launched an innovative airborne terminal – AirPatrol – designed to provide end users with a light-weight, high performance communications module capable of operating in the most demanding conditions.
 
Developed by Astrium Services’ Secure Satcom Systems, which has over 25 years of experience in the design, manufacture, installation and maintenance of advanced satcom terminals, AirPatrol is compatible with all types of aircraft, including unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
 
The terminal incorporates carbon composite materials into the antenna design. The use of carbon composites permit a higher level of radio frequency (RF) path integration, resulting in improved performance when compared with standard aluminium antennas; exceptional 20Mbps data rates have been demonstrated at X-band, using the standard 60cm dish, in some cases providing at least three times the capacity of a standard antenna.
 
AirPatrol has been developed in response to the growing demand from military and other customers who are increasingly reliant on the secure transmission of video, multispectral and radar imagery, particularly from UAVs. AirPatrol’s capacity to transmit large volumes of data ensures that it is possible to stream live images from UAV reconnaissance missions directly to ground based receivers.
 
The light-weight design of the terminal, made possible with the use of composite materials, means that AirPatrol can be much more easily integrated onto a variety of aircraft than its heavier alloy alternatives. A typical configuration of AirPatrol weighs just 16kg, ensuring that the terminal has a minimum impact on an aircraft’s overall flight performance.
 

 
With the capability to operate over Ku, Ka and X bands, AirPatrol can be configured to operate as a communications platform for intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance (ISTAR), or as dual communications and control system providing beyond-line-of-sight (BLOS) control for the user.
 
AirPatrol benefits from an advanced stabilisation system that is designed to handle complex airborne manoeuvres, so that the antenna always remains accurately pointed to maintain a secure communication link at all times.
 
The flexibility of AirPatrol also provides the opportunity to support civil applications, such as coastguard patrols, emergency and rescue services and policing international borders.

 
AirPatrol is the latest example of Astrium’s position as the leading European supplier of dual use and high-security satellite communications equipment and networks, with decades of experience in the design, manufacture and test of hardened spacecraft and high-technology secure communications systems.
 
Astrium Services’ Secure Satcom Systems provides a full range of land, air and naval terminals including the renowned family of SCOT terminals that have been procured by 11 navies worldwide and have provided 24/7 connectivity in all weather conditions to over 200 ships worldwide.