TT&C COMMUNICATIONS ARCHITECTURE FOR THE NEXT GENERATION OF MILSATCOM SYSTEMS

Abstract

Military Satellite Communication (MILSATCOM) systems are developed and deployed to provide enduring communications for essential Department of Defense (DoD) missions (Reference 1-5). These missions must be completed under the direct influence of, and subsequent to, hostile electromagnetic and physical attacks. Additionally, mission and TT&C communications must be capable of propagating through a disturbed atmosphere (Ref 6). The classic tracking, telemetry and control (TT&C) functions provide critical support to all essential communications missions. Enduring TT&C is necessary for effective enduring MILSATCOM missions (Ref 7). The next generation of MILSATCOM systems includes many capabilities that can be shared by the mission traffic and TT&C communications to efficiently and effectively accomplish both objectives. This paper advocates an integration of TT&C into the communications channels for the next generation of MILSATCOM Systems.