Koen Willems, Head of International Government and Defense Strategy-ST Engineering iDirect

Brussels, Belgium, November 6, 2020--To shed light on the developemnts and tends in the defense market, Satellite Mrkets and Research spoke with Koen Willems, Head of International Government and Defense Strategy-ST Engineering iDirect.  Excerpts of the interview follows:

The Defense market has always been a big user of satellite and their networks are becoming increasingly complex. At the same time, the satellite world is also undergoing change. How will these innovations enable Defense organizations to be more effective in their communications?

The question here indeed is whether the digital revolution and the space 2.0 technology initiatives for both the commercial satcom world and the defense market requirements are aligned. The commercial satellite sector is a critical source of bandwidth, technology, products and services for defense organizations that are looking for high performance, efficiency and access to ground infrastructure that supports multiple waveforms and software-defined networks for dynamic capacity allocation. However, as the commercial satellite industry undergoes immense transformation—becoming more complex with new innovations such as very high throughput satellites (VHTS), LEO/MEO/GEO/HEO and new constellations—defense and government organizations will need to plan for their next-generation, future-proof, multi-service, multi-layered network to ensure an operational advantage in the coming years. 

Defense networks are also becoming more complex due to dispersed operations. This results in different requirements where everything needs to be connected including smaller troops or assets that are on-the-move. All requirements, such as throughput and security, need to be supported by one single platform with a flexible hub that has access to multiple satellites and mediums of transmission. For example, Morale Welfare and Recreation (MWR) may prioritize higher data speeds and bandwidth efficiency and may not need military-grade security that other applications require. 

The defense sector is looking carefully at all the evolutions that are happening in terms of multi-orbit constellations and 5G and how they can best employ them whilst meeting their security and resiliency needs. Today, hybrid networks already provide extra reliability by combining satellite and 4G/LTE networks and intelligent routing. A signal will simply travel over a satellite or a terrestrial link. It doesn’t matter which one because it will use the method that is the most appropriate and reliable at the time. 

There are conversations happening on 5G and edge computing. Edge computing offers a lot of benefits for defense users, for example, as traffic does not need to be transported back to HQ so there is no longer the risk that the traffic may be intercepted and compromised. There’s also a benefit in terms of latency as the signal doesn’t have as far to travel as everything is done locally. 

Defense agencies have the opportunity to harness all of these innovations to ensure operational advantage at all times These innovations must all be in tune with the stringent requirements for military networks that want their information faster, better and more secured.

What are the most notable trends that you see in terms of satellite communications in the defense sector?

The first trend would have to be sensor technology, such as the Connected Soldier.  Today, warfighters are wearing smart vests, bodycams and smart devices to run diagnostics on their health or physical status in training or during operations and providing real-time situational awareness and sharing information with headquarters or other assets in theatre. Technologies such as IoT, M2M, 5G, IA, Big Data and bandwidth hungry ISR sensors are finding in-routes towards multiple military applications and are resulting in a surge in capacity demand as all information gleaned by these technologies must be fed back to HQ and to other assets in theater to give the bigger picture. These live feeds significantly aid situational awareness. Use of IoT on connected vehicles, for example, can signal a breakdown of components which will enable the vehicle to be repaired quickly and operational again.

Changing security threats are also resulting in more resilient and secure networks. Operations are happening on a global basis today with multiple nations on joint operations. The networks that serve them must be highly secure and resilient due to cyber threats and the desire of adversaries to disrupt the supply chain. 

There is an increased amount of On-The-Move (OTM) and On-The-Pause (OTP) applications that trigger demand for Size, Weight and Power (SWaP), Flat Panel Antennas (FPAs) and technology that provides seamless, high throughput communications to these satellite terminals on land, sea or in the air. This need for advanced mobility also brings with it its own challenges in terms of the speed at which vehicles or vessels or aircraft move and the blockage of signals. Linked with this is the increased usage of unmanned and autonomous systems for many types of applications from mine hunting to ISR. 

The military market is also increasingly investigating how the new satellite constellations in different orbits and HTS will improve their operations. There’s also discussion on 5G and how that will be used. It will be very useful for IoT and M2M, but what challenges does it pose in terms of security and resilience? Lots of technology is being evaluated and will eventually find its way to the field of operation.  

Can you tell us more about how ST Engineering iDirect approaches the issue of security and resiliency within the defense sector?

Our platform is built around a multi-layered security and resiliency approach which encompasses a lot of aspects. The end user requires seamless operations, maximum Quality of Experience (QoE) and information assurance. There are a lot of threat factors that must be addressed such as jamming, interference, cyberattack, both physical and cyber gateway attacks. Our multi-layered approach, which combines a variety of technologies, standards and procedures allows the military service provider to detect, mitigate, protect and prevent, achieving seamless always-on networks protected against an increasing amount of threat vectors. 

For interference detection, a network management system, spectrum monitoring and geolocation services can identify and mitigate potential threats. Our Glowlink signal management and monitoring product line enables them to detect, locate, and remove satellite interference to improve the quality and integrity of satellite communications. A spectrum monitoring solution can further detect any anomalies by pooling together bandwidth and comparing current conditions against a defined carrier plan. Geolocation can determine the latitude and longitude of an interfering signal and provide actionable intelligence by isolating and characterizing the source of interference.

When a security threat occurs, a proper mitigation response is needed. Signal excision technology and network diversity can help users swiftly leverage another network capacity to ensure persistent communications. Our CISR™ technology cuts away interference to provide a clear signal. We also provide network diversity by re-routing traffic to another satellite if one becomes jammed. 

For prevention of future security breaches, transmission security (TRANSEC) and information assurance capabilities can ensure that systems remain resilient. TRANSEC technology keeps communications, and ultimately military operations, safe and secure as they transmit sensitive data over the airwaves. 

Finally, prediction of future interferences and threats can be done by evaluating and understanding network activities, looking at historical data and ensuring rapid response to adjust for any inconsistencies.

This is an integrated approach which is multi-layered and where all technologies and procedures work together to create the highest level of security and resilience. 

What impact has the COVID-19 pandemic had on government and defense sector and on the demand for your technology in this market?

On the one hand, the defense sector has long-term and resilient budgets for long-term plans. There were some immediate needs from the market as military forces were widely deployed to build hospitals, distribute goods and generally support civil resilience efforts to combat COVID-19. So, we have seen demand for programs for COVID-19 mitigation and for welfare and first responders and an increase in network requirements next to long-term programs. As yet, we have seen few impacts on defense budgets.

On the other hand, we expect that future impact on defense budgets might come from the debts incurred in supporting healthcare systems and damaged industries. Budgets are unlikely to be immune from cuts in the coming years as they will be reallocated to fund recovery initiatives. Defense industries have been confronted with the impact of the lockdowns and other measures that have presented challenges such as supply chain disruptions and infections of critical staff.

At ST Engineering iDirect we have seen an uptake in demand for emergency services and first responder networks to counter the first waves of the pandemic. Countries are building crisis networks to manage the different healthcare, education and first responder demands for bandwidth. Next to that, welfare programs have upgraded their networks to accommodate defense personnel that also need to work from home or are stuck abroad due to travel bans or are in quarantine or that cannot return home because missions are prolonged. Due to the scalability and flexibility of our platforms, service providers have been able to respond rapidly to changing demands and to re-purpose networks to fulfil demand for distance education networks for example. Our multi-service platform allows our service providers to respond quickly to these types of events. 

Next to the growth of emergency networks, there has also been a demand for resiliency and security technology as cybersecurity and cyber protection have become indispensable to protect medical records, secure corporate and government networks with people working from home or seeking emergency information. 

To read or download a pdf of a report on Military Satellite Market sponsored by ST Engineering iDirect  click here.

What are the next innovations for OTM and OTP applications that will immediately impact the efficiency of defense operations?  

OTM and OTP terminals have their own distinct challenges as they are mounted on vessels, vehicles or aircrafts or need to be carried around in harsh conditions. The defense sector is increasingly using smaller terminals, whether they are flat panel or parabolic. The question is how small the terminal manufacturers can go to make them easier to transport. 

With the decrease of the terminal size also comes the requirement to host higher throughput services and provide seamless communications to the deployed military end-users. The efficiency of both antennas and modems have evolved over time and technologies are now in place to provide double the throughput compared to legacy technology.

We are well used to enabling small terminals. Our modems and platforms already offer the efficiency and throughput required to support these small terminals. Our multi-service platform allows our service provider customers to offer global connectivity with a seamless user experience as our modems can automatically switch from one beam to the next. 

We are investing in the design of compact OEM boards that can be installed in small or flat panel terminals taking the SWaP requirements into consideration in order to provide easier transport, better form fit and longer autonomy to improve the efficiency of the operation.