Satnews Daily
November 15th, 2019

U.S. Air Force Contracts with Roccor ... Antennas for Space Mission


A contract between the U.S. Air Force and Roccor, will support the U.S. Air Force’s resilient space mission and enhance warfighters’ situational awareness.

Roccor, developer of mission-critical satellite hardware, shared that it has been awarded a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase-2 contract by AFWERX to build a second-generation satellite communications antenna to support the U.S. Air Force’s resilient space mission.

According to Roccor’s commercial customer Viasat, the antenna will fly on a mission “intended to enhance warfighters’ situational awareness by extending the range of Link 16 tactical communications networks — using a constellation of these satellites will provide greater access to Link 16 capabilities in contested or congested environments (and) significantly enhancing mission effectiveness.” (Read more here.)

Roccor's Phase-2 SBIR contract follows Roccor’s demonstrations of small satellite antenna deployment with L3Harris. Together, these programs are rapidly advancing the country’s military capability and preparedness in the global small satellite era.

Chris Pearson, CEO of Roccor said that they are proud to continue their work with AFWERX and Viasat to support a mission that ultimately keeps the peace and saves lives. Launching Link 16 communications capability on small satellite constellations will allow the U.S. military to ensure global connectivity of the fighting forces and provide for their safety while in harm’s way well into the future.