Update: The UK recently connected to the Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) protected communications satellite system, becoming the fourth successful partner. The U.K. armed forces connected over two terminal variants with AEHF-2, one made for connections on land and one for users at sea.
Previously: Following Canada’s success in connecting to the US Air Force’s Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) satellite system, The Netherlands has effectively connected to US, Canadian, and domestic terminals. The satellite system, which provides improved global, survivable, jam-proof, protected communications, is currently being tested for strategic and tactical uses. A single AEHF satellite provides greater total capacity than the entire legacy five-satellite Milstar constellation.
The US-Canada-Netherlands team engaged satellites AEHF-1 and AEHF-2 while completing test calls between international terminals. Voice and data communications were exchanged by connecting to the AEHF-2 satellite, crosslinking with the AEHF-1 satellite, and downlinking to the US Navy terminal in San Diego and a Canadian terminal at Shirley’s Bay, Ontario, Canada. Connecting to the AEHF-2 also marked The Netherland’s first local AEHF call from ship to shore. The radios used in the tests included domestic and international versions of the Navy Multi-Band and Secure Mobile Anti-Jam Reliable Tactical (SMART-T) terminals.