Rockwell Collins Sends Voice, Data Over MUOS with Airborne Radio

The ARC-210 radio recently became the first airborne radio to operate over the U.S. government’s newest satellite constellation – the Mobile User Objective System (MUOS). Photo: Rockwell Collins

[Via Satellite 10-02-2014] Using the ARC-210 radio, Rockwell Collins recently demonstrated the ability to transmit over the United States government’s Mobile User Objective System (MUOS) satellite system. The U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) conducted the testing for both ground and airborne environments.

On the ground, the ARC-210 performed system operational tests such as passing IP data and Over the Air Provisioning of the radios. Airborne testing took place with a C-17 Globemaster 3 aircraft and a communications base station at Joint Base Lewis-McChord Air Force Base near Tacoma, Wash.

The ARC-210 is the first airborne radio to transmit using MUOS. According to Rockwell Collins, the radio can provide all expanded and modernized Department of Defense (DoD) Ultra High Frequency (UHF) Beyond Line of Sight (BLOS) once equipped with the MUOS waveform.