Europe eyes new system

from RAF

Oakhanger on

the United

Kingdom's new

communication

satellite

constellation.

A £430-million project to maintain Britain's global communication system into the next century is underway following the launch of the Skynet 4D satellite from Cape Canaveral in Florida, US. The satellite is the first of a series of three to replace the existing Skynet constellation that has operated for almost a decade. After the success of the system during the Gulf war the UK Ministry of Defence decided to retain a dedicated military satellite capability because of uncertainty over the availability of civilian systems during a crisis. Threats from potentially hostile electronic warfare (EW) sources also necessitate military standard satel lites able to operate in extreme electronic warfare conditions.
The British element of the Matra Marconi Space venture built the new satellites at Stevenage and Portsmouth. The first satellite was sent into orbit on a Boeing Delta booster and the second and third will be launched on Ariane 4 boosters.
After 10 years in space the original Skynet 4 satellites are running out of the vital fuel that keeps them in their orbits. Among the new satellites' features are steerable antennas to support SHF pot-beam communications, increased power, anti-jam capability and a fully tuneable UHF system.

Each Skynet satellite is built on standard modular units that comprise a service and a payload module. Two solar arrays that rotate about their axis to follow the sun, provide electrical power. The Royal Air Force controls the UK's satellite fleet on behalf of the Ministry of Defence from three ground stations centred on RAF Oakhanger and the RAF's 1001 Signals Unit.
Positive control of the Skynets and two NATO IV satellites is essential to ensure they remain correctly aligned with ground stations.
The UK, France and Germany have signed a memorandum of understanding to proceed with the product definition stage of the Trimi Istacom system due to come into service when the current generation of satellites begin to fail. Britain and France have the Skynet and Syracuse systems that will have to be replaced towards the end of the next decade.