SUNNYVALE, Calif. - The fifth Lockheed Martin (NYSE-LMT)-built Mobile User Objective System (MUOS-5) satellite is now delivering secure, beyond-line-of-sight communications to troops with legacy Ultra High Frequency (UHF) radios.
The U.S. Navy, working with Army Forces Strategic Command, configured one of MUOS-5's two communications payloads - its legacy UHF payload - to provide additional support for the Navy's legacy UHF satellite communications mission. Today, narrowband UHF communications is used by every Combatant Command in aircraft, ships, submarines, ground vehicles, as well as by troops in the field and special operations.
Eventually, legacy narrowband UHF communications will transition to next generation Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) capabilities provided by MUOS. To facilitate that transition, MUOS was intentionally designed with two communications payloads.
Despite setbacks caused by aggressive scheduling early in program development as well as technical issues, five MUOS satellites have been launched. The first MUOS satellite (originally scheduled to launch in July 2011) lifted off in February 2012 and entered service later that year. MUOS-2 followed in July 2013. A welding issue with the third satellite caused further delays, but it was finally launched on January 20, 2015. The fourth satellite launched in September 2015, followed by the fifth satellite in June 2016.
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