-
- News
- Books
Featured Books
- design007 Magazine
Latest Issues
Current IssueShowing Some Constraint
A strong design constraint strategy carefully balances a wide range of electrical and manufacturing trade-offs. This month, we explore the key requirements, common challenges, and best practices behind building an effective constraint strategy.
All About That Route
Most designers favor manual routing, but today's interactive autorouters may be changing designers' minds by allowing users more direct control. In this issue, our expert contributors discuss a variety of manual and autorouting strategies.
Creating the Ideal Data Package
Why is it so difficult to create the ideal data package? Many of these simple errors can be alleviated by paying attention to detail—and knowing what issues to look out for. So, this month, our experts weigh in on the best practices for creating the ideal design data package for your design.
- Articles
- Columns
- Links
- Media kit
||| MENU - design007 Magazine
U.S. Navy Accepts Fifth Lockheed Martin-Built MUOS Satellite
November 21, 2017 | Lockheed MartinEstimated reading time: 2 minutes

The U.S. Navy's Communications Satellite Program Office, PMW 146, and Lockheed Martin handed over full operational control of the fifth Mobile User Objective System (MUOS) satellite to the Naval Satellite Operations Center (NAVSOC).
The October 11 milestone followed the successful completion of the MUOS-5 satellite's on-orbit testing and delivery of all operational products needed to "fly" the satellite. In April, the Navy, working with Army Forces Strategic Command (ARSTRAT), configured one of MUOS-5's two communications payloads – its legacy Ultra High Frequency (UHF) payload – for testing.
The handover of this satellite to NAVSOC clears the final hurdle allowing for ARSTRAT to provide the payload's final configurations to support the Navy's legacy UHF satellite communications mission.
"Today, every Combatant Command in aircraft, ships, submarines, ground vehicles, as well as by troops in the field and special operations, rely upon secure, beyond-line-of-sight UHF satellite communications provided by the Navy," said Mark Woempner, Lockheed Martin's director for Narrowband Communications. "ARSTRAT's final configuration of MUOS-5's UHF legacy payload allows the satellite to fully support our military forces in these Combatant Commands."
Eventually, legacy narrowband UHF communications will transition to next generation Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) capabilities. To facilitate that transition, all five on-orbit MUOS satellites were intentionally designed with two communications payloads to support both Legacy UHF and WCDMA.
Early combatant commander testing of the on-orbit WCDMA payloads began in July 2016. The new MUOS capabilities will revolutionize communications for mobile forces with simultaneous, crystal-clear voice, video and mission data over a secure high-speed Internet Protocol-based system. Users with new MUOS terminals will be able to seamlessly connect beyond line-of-sight around the world and into the Global Information Grid, as well as into the Defense Switched Network, as part of the Navy's worldwide cellular network.
Once fully operational, the MUOS network of five on-orbit satellites and four relay ground stations will provide more than 10 times the communications capacity of the legacy UHF satellite system. MUOS' network already provides near-global coverage, including communications into polar regions. MUOS also has demonstrated successful communication of Integrated Broadcast Service (IBS) messages.
"We continue to receive great and constructive feedback on MUOS' capabilities as more users try it out. Similar to a civilian cellular phone service, upgrades to this new secure global military cellular network are ground-based and designed in an AGILE software development environment. We continue to make upgrades to the system based on user needs and look forward to bringing its full capabilities to our warfighters," Woempner said.
Today there are more than 55,000 radio terminals currently fielded that can be upgraded to be MUOS-compatible, with many of them requiring just a software upgrade.
The Navy's Program Executive Office for Space Systems and its Communications Satellite Program Office responsible for the MUOS program are based in San Diego, California. Lockheed Martin assembled and tested all five now-on-orbit MUOS satellites at its Sunnyvale, California, facility.
About Lockheed Martin
Headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, Lockheed Martin is a global security and aerospace company that employs approximately 97,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services.
For additional MUOS information, photos and video, click here.
Suggested Items
FTG Announces Q2 2025 Financial Results
07/09/2025 | Globe NewswireFiran Technology Group Corporation announced financial results for the second quarter 2025. Revenue: Recorded at $48.7 million, a 25.6% increase over Q2 2024.
Moog Announces Acquisition of COTSWORKS
07/07/2025 | BUSINESS WIREMoog Inc., a worldwide designer, manufacturer and systems integrator of high-performance precision motion and fluid controls and control systems, announced the acquisition of COTSWORKS Inc., an aerospace and defense fiber optics transceiver component manufacturer, for a purchase price of $63 million.
S&K Aerospace Awarded Major Contract Under DLA Maritime Acquisition Advancement Program
07/02/2025 | BUSINESS WIRES&K Aerospace, LLC has been awarded a significant contract under the Defense Logistics Agency’s (DLA) Maritime Acquisition Advancement Program, managed by the U.S. Naval Supply Command - Weapon Systems Support (NAVSUP WSS) in Mechanicsburg, PA.
Green Circuits to Exhibit Full-Service Electronics Manufacturing Solutions at 2025 SMD Symposium
07/02/2025 | Green CircuitsGreen Circuits, a full-service Electronics Manufacturing Services (EMS) partner to leading OEMs, is pleased to announce its participation in the 2025 SMD Symposium, taking place August 5-7 at the Von Braun Center in Huntsville, Alabama.
I-Connect007 Editor’s Choice: Five Must-Reads for the Week
06/27/2025 | Nolan Johnson, I-Connect007While news outside our industry keeps our attention occupied, the big news inside the industry is the rechristening of IPC as the Global Electronics Association. My must-reads begins with Marcy LaRont’s exclusive and informative interview with Dr. John Mitchell, president and CEO of the Global Electronics Association. For designers, have we finally reached the point in time where autorouters will fulfill their potential?