(U) Fleet EHF Package (FEP)

(The effects of any budget/program decisions made since the information was collected during 1997-98 are NOT reflected in the National Security Space Road Map (NSSRM).)

Overview: (U)
(U) The FEP is a Milstar compatible communications package which has been placed on the last two FLTSAT UHF satellites and on the UHF Follow-On (UFO) satellites.  

Description: (U)
(U) The primary purpose for the FEP packages is for testing the Milstar communications terminals while providing supplemental protected communications capabilities.  The FEP provides approximately 30 communications channels with 5 degree spot beam and earth coverage antennas.  This is approximately 1/6 the low data rate (LDR) communications capability of a Milstar satellite.  FEP being resident on a non-hardened satellite does not provide the degree of survivability inherent in a Milstar satellite.  It also does not provide most of the anti-jam capability which a Milstar satellite provides.

(U) The last two Fleet Satellite Communications (FSC) satellites (7 and 8) carry the FLTSATCOM EHF Package (FEP) with a 44-gHz uplink and a 20-gHz downlink communications package.  Originally developed by Lincoln Laboratory, the FEP was designed to demonstrate the operational capabilities of EHF terminals and to prove key functions of the Milstar system.  The FEP package is housed in a third hexagonal module added to the satellite.  The additional weight is accommodated by an improved launch vehicle and a new apogee motor.  New solar cells, with higher efficiency than those used on Satellites 1 to 5 provide the added power with no increase in solar array size.  The EHF package has both Earth coverage and spot beam antenna.  It demodulates up to 32 received signals, processes them, and reformats and modulates them for downlink transmission.  The uplinks are Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA) with Multiple Frequency Shifting Key (MFSK) modulation; they are combined into a single Time Division Multiplex (TDM) datastream for the downlink.

User Impact: (U)
(U) To be supplied.

Programmatics: (U)
(U) Operational.

Related Initiatives: (U)
(U) AN/USC-38 (V), Automated Comms Management Sys, Command Post Terminals (CPTs), FLTSATCOM, ICBM EHF Terminals, SCAMP Terminal, SMART-T, UHF Follow-on (UFO)

Related Requirements: (U)
(U) None.

Related Categories: (U)
(U) MILSATCOM, UHF Satellite Systems

Road Map Placements: (U)
(U) Major DoD Space Programs, MILSATCOM.

Lead Office: (U)
(U) Navy.

Date of Information: (U)
22 September 1998

(The effects of any budget/program decisions made since the information was collected during 1997-98 are NOT reflected in the National Security Space Road Map (NSSRM).)