In a significant enhancement to its satellite communications capabilities, Viasat has announced a collaboration with Airbus Defence and Space to outfit the Airbus C295 Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA) with advanced broadband technology. This initiative, which involves the integration of Viasat’s dual-band (Ku/Ka) broadband terminal, the GAT-5530, into the Spanish fleet, is part of a contract with the Spanish Ministry of Defence (MoD).
The partnership will leverage the GAT-5530 terminal to enable secure and reliable satellite connectivity that supports a wide range of military operations, from command and control (C2) to intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) activities. This technology aligns with Spain’s shift towards utilizing the next-generation SpainSat NG satellites, enhancing national security through resilient broadband SATCOM capabilities.
Victor Farah, Senior Vice President at Viasat Government, expressed enthusiasm about the collaboration: “We are excited to expand our work with Airbus to support the Spanish Ministry of Defence with our highly flexible, multi-band terminal on the C295 Maritime Patrol Aircraft. Our connectivity solutions are designed to support modern military operation requirements with advanced, secure and resilient satellite communications. This includes enabling seamless roaming between sovereign and commercial networks to provide superior resilience beyond the capabilities of traditional single-band or single-network access solutions.”
The Airbus C295 is noted for its reliability and versatility in various military roles and is currently operated by 37 countries globally. The addition of the GAT-5530 will bolster the aircraft’s operational capabilities, supporting all ITU Ku- and Ka-bands, including 3.5GHz of commercial and military Ka-band. This will offer the Spanish MoD and other military customers significant flexibility in utilizing multi-frequency (Ku/Mil-Ka/Commercial-Ka), multi-orbit (GEO, MEO, HEO), and multi-network communications architectures.
The initiative underscores a growing trend in military communications towards multi-dimensional connectivity solutions that enhance operational flexibility and resilience.