Enabling mission success for the UAS community
We deliver reliable beyond line-of-sight UAS connectivity in L- and Ka-band achieving seamless worldwide communication coverage with consistently superior performance and quick-reaction capabilities.
Combatant Commands (COCOMs), emergency response, disaster relief, customs and border protection, safety and other government missions are employing Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) in ever-increasing Airborne Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (AISR) and expeditionary Command and Control (C2) operations, leading to a constant need for end-to-end satellite communications (SATCOM) services to meet sensor/video backhaul connectivity requirements.
Inmarsat stands at the forefront of new age for the government and commercial UAS market. Our worldwide reliable, scalable and secure connectivity solutions powered by Inmarsat’s ELERA, Global Xpress and Inmarsat’s Military Ka-band steerable antennas, combined with low Size, Weight and Power (SWaP) user terminals, enable full-situational awareness and mission success via an ecosystem with unparalleled attributes:
- Global coverage: UAS users seek platforms that can dispatch literally anywhere for hours or even days, flying non-stop. Our L- and Ka-band services are delivered worldwide via subscription plans with committed information rates, leases or steered capacity, including the extension of Global Xpress to the Arctic region.
- A flexible and highly available network: Backhaul remains an unsung yet critical element in the UAS communications relay, as most UAS operating areas lack sufficient terrestrial fiber to move data. We ensure 99.9 percent satellite network availability with secure and resilient terrestrial back-haul options – the critical last mile.
- SWaP-optimized user terminals: Any additional weight to a UAS platform will burden the mission. That is why we partner with leading innovative terminal manufacturers to produce hardware antennas and terminals that meet low SWaP requirements and high-throughput capability on the return link. Inmarsat type-approved terminals are available in various size, weight and power requirements. Learn more and download our UAS terminal catalog of tailorable hardware components.
- Responsive service integration: Today’s lack of UAS industry platform standardization inevitably means that things do not quite fit. Our experienced in-house and partner teams respond rapidly to a wide range of mission and budget requirements, ensuring each integration results in an end-to-end solution that meets customers’ specific needs.
- Flexible plans: Every UAS program is unique, which is why our data plans scale as required by mission, budget or region. Whether opting to “pay as you go” or lease large frequency segments, our UAS customers can port one subscription to multiple platforms en route, for instance, with users transferring service from a platform in Europe to another in Africa in near real time.
Fully funded Technology Roadmap
At Inmarsat Government, we are about results. UAS users turn to us because of our proven track record and performance benefits. We are constantly developing unique and highly capable terminal designs and advanced network configurations so our customers’ UAS will continue to exceed expectations for ISR and C2 missions with seamless beyond-line-of-sight (BLOS) connectivity. Read more about our fully funded technology roadmap and download our UAS white paper.
Our suite of services for UAS missions:
GLOBAL XPRESS
Purpose-built for mobility, Inmarsat Global Xpress Ka-band services bring continuous, consistent connectivity, speed and agility anywhere in the world and over the Arctic region (from 2023). The Global Xpress network takes advantage of a uniform worldwide seamless spot beam architecture for maximum mobility. When there are surges in demand, Global Xpress directs its steerable antennas to areas of need to provide additional capacity. Low SWaP user terminals support high-data rate return links in commercial and in military Ka-band. Read more about Global Xpress.
SATCOM as a Service
Global Xpress is offered as an on-demand subscription service for commercial terminals with guaranteed service level agreements and committed information rates worldwide. Customers get what they ask for, and the quality of the acquired service is assured. Read more about SATCOM as a service.
Military Ka-band
Inmarsat high-capacity steerable antennas seamlessly augment Global Xpress services and provide very high-performance military Ka-band connectivity with terminals that are fully compatible with military satellite systems. Read more about Military Ka-band.
INMARSAT ELERA
Through Inmarsat’s ELERA global, mobile, highly reliable L-band constellation, we deliver resilient and assured services that are relevant to UAS’ BLOS missions. User terminals are ultra-small and deliver high-throughput data rates from the UAS platform. Read more about Inmarsat Elera.
LAISR
L-band Airborne Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (LAISR) is a purpose-built lease service that provides speeds up to 3 Mbps duplex delivered through small antennas. It offers uniform high-throughput airborne ISR capabilities throughout the complete coverage area of the Inmarsat ELERA worldwide network. Read more about LAISR.
Empowering a bold UAS partner ecosystem
Thanks to our background in mobile connectivity and alongside our experience in delivering aviation safety services, Inmarsat Government is bringing together a bold and innovative UAS partner ecosystem.
This growing ecosystem is comprised of leaders and pioneers, each with their own diverse strengths and the capabilities needed to optimize UAS solutions.
We are the foremost UAS data link provider, with multiple data link capabilities to best fit customer mission requirements. Our collaborative mind-set and open platform ensure the success of partners who work with us.
Our UAS Partners
Orbit Communication Systems deliver innovative, cost-effective and highly reliable solutions to include airborne communications, satellite-tracking maritime and ground-station solutions. Read more about Orbit.
Cobham supply robust, high performance equipment and solutions that enable reliable connectivity anywhere, anytime, in the most demanding environments. Read more about Cobham.
R4 provide aircraft system engineering design, aircraft modification, avionics equipment integration and airworthiness certification support. Read more R4 Integration.
Get SAT Communications provide portable and efficient antenna and terminals that offer high-data-rate communications. Read more Get SAT.
Honeywell develop and manufacture equipment and systems for global mobile satellite communications, offering small and lightweight equipment. Read more about Honeywell.
Ball Aerospace solve tough space and weight issues by integrating multi-function apertures and low radar cross section features. Read more about Ball Aerospace.
Rugged Logic specializes in the design and manufacturing of communication and power products for remote use in environmentally harsh conditions, such as aircraft, maritime, and mobile applications. Read more about Rugged Logic.
UAS – How to get involved
We’d like to hear from you.
We welcome contact from potential partners, developers, academia and any other research organization that is interested in integrating our Inmarsat UAS connectivity solutions into its programs.
To find out more about working together, please contact us.