Inmarsat, Honeywell Launch SwiftJet to Enhance Government Aviation Capabilities

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Inmarsat and Honeywell are setting a new benchmark in satellite communications with the launch of SwiftJet, the latest connectivity service for business and government airborne users. It will enter commercial service in the first half of 2023 and deliver high-throughput connectivity over L-band worldwide.

As one of the first new services to be introduced on Inmarsat’s ELERA satellite network, SwiftJet will offer seamless global coverage with maximum speeds of 2.6 Mbps supporting forward links to aviation platforms.

SwiftJet uses advanced hardware from Inmarsat’s partner Honeywell, which can be equipped on a broad range of crewed and uncrewed aircraft, including small and midsize jets, and also supports cockpit and safety services. Existing customers of Inmarsat’s SwiftBroadband service will benefit from a natural upgrade path without needing to replace any externally-mounted aircraft equipment, while new customers will experience the same ease of installation as with any Inmarsat L-band terminal. It is available to pre-order through Honeywell, with additional incentives in an early adopter campaign.

Susan Miller, CEO of Inmarsat Government, said: “Through Inmarsat’s unique worldwide, mobile, highly-reliable ELERA network, Inmarsat Government continues to provide services that are relevant to government customers and are designed for every aspect of government and military on-the-move missions. With the introduction of SwiftJet, Inmarsat is now expanding narrowband capabilities, delivering faster, more advanced L-band offerings with our renowned characteristics of resilience, reliability, availability and information assurance, whenever and wherever our customers operate.”

Adam Sheppard, Honeywell Aerospace’s Director of Aircraft Connectivity, said: “With Inmarsat we have created a straightforward upgrade path for all our SwiftBroadband customers including government users. This upgrade not only provides a highly resilient link to the aircraft but also provides a return link capable of speeds up to 2.6 Mbps on a global network. This optimized forward and return link significantly expands the mission capabilities of an aircraft without having to change wiring or antenna hardware.”

Inmarsat’s ELERA global satellite network delivers the world’s most reliable and flexible worldwide connectivity, with full redundancy and unique resilience in all conditions. ELERA capabilities are being further enhanced with the addition of two Inmarsat-6 (I-6) satellites, the largest and most sophisticated commercial communications satellites ever built, both of which are scheduled to enter service next year and will support SwiftJet through the 2030s, reinforcing the service’s long-term value. The L-band capacity on each I-6 satellite will be substantially greater than Inmarsat’s 4th generation spacecraft, delivering 50% more capacity per beam in addition to unlimited beam routing flexibility. 

The I-6 series of satellites will also play a crucial role in the ongoing growth of Inmarsat’s unique ORCHESTRA dynamic mesh network, which will bring existing geosynchronous (GEO) satellites together with low earth orbit (LEO) and highly elliptical orbit (HEO) satellites, and terrestrial 5G to form an integrated, high-performance solution, unmatched by any existing or planned competitor offering.