SatService Builds Q/V-Band Ground Station

Under a contract from the Federal Ministry of Defense of Germany, represented by the University of the Federal Armed Forces (Munich, Germany), SatService GmbH will deliver a full-service satellite ground station operating at Q- and V-band frequencies for military satellite-communications (satcom) use.

SatService, a subsidiary of Calian Group Ltd., will design, manufacture, test, and deliver the satellite ground station. This includes a 4-meter antenna system (see image above) for use with satellites in geostationary orbit. 

Commenting on the growing use of satcom by Germany and the European Union (EU), Wilfried Megger, Managing Director of SatService GmbH, said, “Germany and the EU are heavily investing in satellite-communications capabilities to secure and defend their sovereignty and access to multiple frequency bands is a critical part of their initiative.”

He added, “Working with customers like Germany’s defense university, our team will combine decades of engineering experience with our system integration capabilities to deliver a satcom solution that is tailor-made to meet their needs. The solution builds on our unique ability to deliver not only the antennas themselves, but the full system — including software, hardware, cybersecure architectures, and operational support — all with a strong customer-focused approach.”

The satellite ground station will serve as part of the terrestrial laboratory of the Bundeswehr University Munich for communications between geostationary satellites and ground stations. It will also provide German Armed Forces training officers with secure, high-throughput satellite connectivity and an education in the benefits of practical satcom technology.

On top of that, the ground station supports command, control, communications, computers, cyber, intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and targeting (C5IRST) functions for modern military operations.