The Air Force Research Laboratory plans to perform in-flight testing of prototype antennas and radio receivers in late 2025 and early 2026 to evaluate their capability to provide multiorbit satellite connectivity, Breaking Defense reported Tuesday.
The devices, developed under the Global Lightning program, are designed to enable switching between different space architectures — a capability critical to addressing challenges brought by signal jamming technologies and implementing the Department of Defense’s Joint All-Domain Command and Control network.
Brian Beal, principal aerospace engineer at AFRL’s Strategic Development Planning and Experimentation Office, said the antennas and radio receivers are built to connect to commercial and government-owned constellations, including SpaceX’s Starlink and the Transport Layer, which the Space Development Agency is developing.
While the equipment trials are focused on aircraft connectivity, the AFRL also works with the U.S. Navy, Coast Guard and Army to integrate the capability into ground vehicles, ships and stationary applications.
According to Beal, if the Global Lightning program returns positive results, different program offices are expected to adopt and field the satellite communications products.
Various companies, including L3Harris, Northrop Grumman, SES Space and Defense, RTX and Viasat, are involved in the satcom antenna and receiver development.
Beal said the in-flight tests will include ensuring the devices can keep reliable, stable connections to any constellation, determining whether aircraft maneuvers could impact connectivity and measuring the transition time when switching between constellations.