Mobile tactical communications, the role of the UHF follow on satellite constellation and its successor, mobile user objective system

The Ultra High Frequency (UHF) portion of the frequency spectrum is of great importance to the military for communications to the mobile warfighter. UHF has many advantages not available at other frequencies. UHF is used both for local line-of-site communications and also for worldwide military satellite communications (MILSATCOM). UHF Follow-On (UFO) is the satellite constellation used for narrowband MILSATCOM. UFO is used by all military services and many government agencies for a wide variety of purposes. The Navy uses UFO MILSATCOM for tactical operations involving all facets of Command, Control, Communications, Computer, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C4ISR). The eleventh and last UFO will be launched in FY 2004. As UFO nears the end of its service life in 2008, it will gradually be replaced by a new satellite constellation called Mobile User Objective System (MUOS). MUGS is in the Component Advanced Development (CAD) phase of development with its first launch scheduled for 2008. MUOS will be interoperable with all legacy UHF terminals, provide handheld capability, and will have up to ten times the capacity of UFO. As the MUGS design is finalized, it may develop as a key component of "Network Centric Warfare, " and operate within a larger broadband and Defense Information Systems Network (DISN) terrestrial network known as the Global Information Grid (GIG).