Royal Marine and Royal Navy personnel will be undertaking a truly inspiring expedition to Khumbu, the mountain range also known as the Everest region in the Himalaya. The team will make use of the latest in satellite communications technology from NSSL, allowing them to stay in contact with base camp, update the expedition website with diary entries and videos and, should the need arise, call in emergency support.

KC09 is the inaugural expedition of Project FORTITUDE, “an initiative to facilitate further and enduring rehabilitation opportunities for those Royal Marines, Sailors and Soldiers injured on operations who suffer visible wounds, and those who bear the less visible wounds of psychological injury. The aim is to enhance the support to individuals and their dependants during the rehabilitation phase from point of injury until re-integration within the Royal Marines/Royal Navy or integration into civilian employment, care or retirement. Opportunity, Challenge, Focus, and Belonging are the cornerstones”. The Khumbu Challenge team is comprised of five teams totalling 86 personnel. What makes this expedition truly exceptional is the team will include men and women injured in recent conflicts. As a result, the participants in the adventure will have a very wide range of experience and mobility. NSSL is providing:

• Six Inmarsat Broadband Global Area Network (BGAN) terminals for the mission. BGAN SATCOM provides voice and data to users globally using a small portable device connected to a laptop
• BGAN voice and data airtime
• Backup satellite handsets
• Solar panels — these small portable devices can be set up when convenient to provide on-demand power to the BGAN terminals
• Comprehensive end-user training
• 24 hour support — a dedicated team of highly skilled engineers is only a phone call away should the team have any technical difficulties