Jul 03, 2009, post by Artur Ślesik
Sectra has evolved as a pioneer and driving force in the development of voice encryption technology, and the Tiger brand is the culmination of these efforts. The latest Tiger product, Tiger XS, is a personal voice encryptor. This intelligent device excels in terms of security and flexibility enabling the user to encrypt telephone conversations over ordinary telephone lines, GSM, ISDN and IP-networks as well as via satellite systems.
Today, Sectra’s Tiger are used by decision-makers, officials and the military in more than half of all EU member countries.
Secure telephone communications
Tiger XS is the most flexible and secure product for eavesdrop-protection of telephone conversations on the market. Tested and certified by both the EU and NATO up to and including the “secret” high-security level, the product is further certified by many government authorities for national security purposes.
Voice, data and fax encryption
Tiger clients appreciate the ease with which the Tiger XS can be used and its ability to encrypt calls from wherever they are situated. Telephone calls are protected over ordinary telephone lines, GSM, ISDN and IP networks as well as via satellite systems. Tiger XS can also be used for encrypted fax and secure data transfers, features also commonly in use today.
Secure satellite communications
Military personnel operating in areas with inadequate telecom infrastructure invariably have no other option than to communicate via satellite. With Tiger XS, telephone calls and fax transfers can be relayed and protected via satellite systems.
Secure IP telephony for the EU Nordic Battlegroup
Since the 1980s, Sectra has developed secure communications products for Swedish military and government clients. For the EU Nordic Battlegroup, Sectra has developed a communications solution in which the Tiger XS can be used for IP-based communications over satellite links. Tiger users within the Nordic Battlegroup can opt to make secure calls over satellite or over national landline and GSM networks.
Reliable key management
Sectra’s security management center (SMC) provides a user-friendly, efficient and secure way of generating and distributing keys. The SMC also provides client management, centralized phone book management and revocation of Tiger XS units.
Cost-effective secure communications systems
Sectra’s flexible Tiger XS system is used across the existing communications infrastructure. This allows for rapid and cost-effective deployment. As part of our commitment to complete life-cycle management, Sectra provides in-house service, support and training facilities.
Tiger security subscriptions
The Tiger service is an “all-inclusive” security subscription including Tiger XS products, operation and security administration, as well as customized support and training. The Dutch Ministry of the Interior subscribes on the Tiger service to protect state secrets communicated between ministers, undersecretaries of state and high-ranking officials.
Security pouches for mobile phones, PDAs and laptops
The Sectra radio blocker security pouch has been developed by Sectra in conjunction with the UK national information assurance authority CESG. Through CESG’s assisted products scheme (CAPS), the security pouch has been designed to allow mobile phones, laptops and PDAs to be carried in restricted areas where radio transmitters are not allowed.
Jul 03, 2009, post by Artur Ślesik
The Ariane 5’s 31st consecutive mission success was another record-setting flight for this workhorse Arianespace launcher – lofting the world’s largest commercial satellite, TerreStar-1, from the Spaceport in French Guiana.
Lifting off from the ELA-3 launch zone on a rare afternoon departure, the Ariane 5 deployed TerreStar-1 into geostationary transfer orbit 26 minutes later. With a launch mass of nearly 6,910 kg., TerreStar-1 was carried as a solo payload on the heavy-lift Ariane 5 ECA mission, which followed Arianespace’s most recent flight by less than two months.
“This 31st consecutive success for Ariane 5 – which is our third launch in 2009 – perfectly illustrates that high performance and reliability can go hand in hand,” said Arianespace Chairman and CEO Jean-Yves Le Gall. “Ariane 5 also has demonstrated its real capability to perform a complete range of missions – from launches of the heaviest commercial satellites to the most complex scientific spacecraft.”
Le Gall thanked TerreStar-1’s operator – U.S.-based TerreStar Networks – for its confidence, noting this is the 29th new satellite company to have relied on Arianespace for the launch of an initial spacecraft.
TerreStar-1 will be located at an orbital position of 111 deg. West, offering new-generation mobile communications services across the United States and Canada. It was produced at Space Systems/Loral’s Palo Alto, California facility, and was the 34th spacecraft built by this U.S. satellite manufacturer to be launched by Arianespace.
Operating in the 2-GHz spectrum with an 18-meter deployable reflector and powerful S-band feed array, TerreStar-1 will be able to manage some 500 spot beams.
It is designed to supply secure communications services to governments in emergency situations, as well as to rural communities. The satellite also will provide voice, data and video transmission services to businesses via dual satellite/ground terminals approximately the size of a typical smart phone.
In post-launch comments from the Spaceport’s control center, TerreStar Networks President Jeffrey Epstein showed the type of handheld device that will function with the company’s communications network and the TerreStar-1 satellite. He also expressed the excitement of experiencing the Ariane 5’s launch first-hand.
“We are deeply appreciative of Arianespace’s efforts,” Epstein said. “What we just witnessed is the culmination of millions of hours of advanced technology in satellite deployment here, and it’s truly remarkable to watch.”
An on-target flight, and a new Ariane 5 mission in August
TerreStar-1 had a liftoff mass of nearly 6,910 kg. And was carried as a solo payload on the Ariane 5 heavy-lift flight from the Spaceport in French Guiana.
- Perigee: 249.9 km. For a target of 249.7 km.
- Apogee: 35,941 km. For a target of 35,928 km.
- Inclination: 6.01 degrees for a target of 6.00
At the completion of the mission, Arianespace’s Le Gall announced that Ariane 5’s next launch is set for mid-August, carrying a dual-satellite payload for two Asia-Pacific customers: JCSAT-12 for Japan’s SKY Perfect JSAT Corp.; and Australia’s Optus D3.
Le Gall said Arianespace remains on track to perform seven Ariane 5 flights during 2009. The Ariane 5 ECA for its upcoming mid-August mission has completed the initial build-up in the Spaceport’s Launcher Integration Building.
This vehicle will now be readied for transfer to the Final Assembly Building – which opened up yesterday morning after the Ariane 5 with TerreStar-1 moved out to the launch zone.
Arianespace’s ability to prepare two Ariane 5s in parallel at the Spaceport is a key to its flexibility and reactivity – which is further enhanced by the heavy-lift workhorse’s ability to orbit two primary satellite payloads on a single flight.
The three Ariane 5 missions performed so far in 2009 have lofted a total of seven spacecraft with a combined payload mass of nearly 19,600 kg.
Arianespace’s first flight of the year was on February 12, orbiting the HOT BIRDT 10 and NSS-9 commercial telecommunications satellites, along with two Spirale auxiliary passengers for the French defense procurement agency. This was followed by the May 14 launch of Europe’s Herschel and Planck deep space telescopes, which were placed on Earth escape trajectories for their 1. 5 million km. Voyages to the second Lagrange point (L2).
Jul 03, 2009, post by Artur Ślesik
A Northrop Grumman MQ-8B Fire Scout Vertical Unmanned Aircraft System (VUAS), designated P7, has successfully completed first flight operations at Yuma Proving Grounds, Ariz. Unlike current Navy configured Fire Scouts, P7 was built in an operational land-based configuration.
It is the first MQ-8B to fly without flight test instrumentation normally installed for developmental flights, a clear indication of MQ-8B’s system maturity. P7 continues Northrop Grumman’s commitment to customers around the globe by building upon the rigorous developmental testing being supported by P6, the first company owned Fire Scout.
The completion of first flight paves the way for continued operations to validate the functionality of all system elements leading to the execution of operationally relevant mission scenarios that demonstrate Fire Scout’s unprecedented capability in support of the warfighter.
“Being a Vertical Unmanned Aerial System, Fire Scout brings many tactical advantages to the fight,” said Mike Howell, Business Development Manager for Army systems at Northrop Grumman’s Aerospace Systems sector. “It goes where the warfighter goes, is not tied to airfields or recovery sites, and provides enhanced, direct support for the ground commander.”
After successfully completing fully autonomous flight operations onboard the USS McInerney (FFG-8) frigate in May, Fire Scout is well poised to demonstrate capabilities in reconnaissance surveillance and target acquisition/ intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (RSTA/ISR), communications relay, logistics resupply, and other key missions uniquely suited to vertical UAS.
“Fire Scout’s ability to perch and stare allows it to readily acquire and track targets in the urban and complex terrains America’s warfighters are engaged,” Howell said.
“Its capacity at the tactical level allows it to carry larger more capable payloads, including communications relay, than other tactical UAS, giving the commander more options and greater flexibility when planning and executing operations.”
The P7’s capability demonstrations will continue throughout the summer, with missions in support of land-based operations as a priority. In conjunction with continued flight operations of P6, P7 underscores Fire Scout’s joint role as a program of record within both the Navy and the Army.
