CARLSBAD, Calif., Dec. 4, 2024 – Viasat, Inc. (NASDAQ: VSAT), a global leader in satellite communications, today announced that it collaborated to integrate commercial solutions to successfully support the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) and AUKUS (United States, Australia, and the United Kingdom) during the Autonomous Warrior 24 exercise, which took place Oct. 1st- 24th in Jervis Bay, New South Wales in Australia. This event was part of the AUKUS Maritime Big Play (MBP) initiative, a series of trilateral exercises and experiments aimed at enhanced capability development, increased interoperability and the expanded use of autonomous systems across the maritime domain.
Viasat worked with the U.S. DoD Office of Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (OUSD R&E) Prototyping and Experimentation (P&E) team to deliver network effects across partner maritime surface, sub-surface, and aerial uncrewed systems. Viasat’s NetAgility Software Defined Networking (SDN) platform was used to enable Multidomain Uncrewed Secure Integrated Communications (MUSIC) to connect uncrewed autonomous vehicles from sub-surface vessels, to uncrewed surface platforms and stratospheric High-Altitude Platforms (HAPs).
The software-defined network architecture, MUSIC, enabled seamless communication and coordination across diverse unmanned systems, communication transports, and operational environments. As part of the exercise, Viasat integrated commercial satellite, cellular, and Mobile Ad-hoc Network (MANET) radio networks with its Move Out Jump Off-Next (MOJO-Next) Tactical Data Link (TDL) gateway to connect uncrewed autonomous vehicles and sensors from different partners.
The application of MUSIC and MOJO Next across uncrewed and crewed teaming systems enabled the AUKUS coalition network to pass position location information (PLI), situational awareness / situational update (SA/SU), and command and control (C2) messages between all platforms, using all transports. This network integration provided a common operating picture and shared situational awareness supporting Combined Joint All Domain Command and Control (CJADC2) for autonomous vehicle operations through coalition and alliance networks.
“Viasat is proud to support OUSD and AUKUS in addressing the network integration challenges for these experiments and the Maritime Big Play initiative,” said David Schmolke, Vice President of Viasat Mission Connections and Cybersecurity. “The emergence of uncrewed, autonomous vehicles in Maritime, Ground and Airborne domains, will be a key differentiator in modern warfare operations, but the MUSIC architecture can enable a true mission advantage. Viasat’s ability to deliver flexible, software defined tactical network solutions is critical to integrating disparate and traditionally non-interoperable networks into a harmonized network for autonomous and unmanned systems that will improve battlespace awareness and decision-making.”
Visit Viasat’s website for more information about its software-defined tactical network and gateway solutions.
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About Viasat
Viasat is a global communications company that believes everyone and everything in the world can be connected. With offices in 24 countries around the world, our mission shapes how consumers, businesses, governments and militaries around the world communicate and connect. Viasat is developing the ultimate global communications network to power high-quality, reliable, secure, affordable, fast connections to positively impact people’s lives anywhere they are—on the ground, in the air or at sea, while building a sustainable future in space. In May 2023, Viasat completed its acquisition of Inmarsat, combining the teams, technologies and resources of the two companies to create a new global communications partner. Learn more at www.viasat.com, the Viasat News Room or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X or YouTube.
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Viasat, Inc. Contacts
Dan Bleier, Public Relations, Viasat Government, +1 (202) 383-5074, daniel.bleier@viasat.com
Lisa Curran/Peter Lopez, Investor Relations, +1 (760) 476-2633, IR@viasat.com
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements that are subject to the safe harbors created under the Securities Act of 1933 and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Forward-looking statements include, among others, statements that refer to the enhanced capability development, increased interoperability and the expanded use of autonomous systems across the maritime domain. Readers are cautioned that actual results could differ materially from those expressed in any forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ include: risks associated with the construction, launch and operation of satellites, including the effect of any anomaly, operational failure or degradation in satellite performance; changes in relationships with, or the financial condition of, key customers or suppliers; our reliance on a limited number of third parties to manufacture and supply our products; increased competition; and introduction of new technologies and other factors affecting the communications and defense industries generally. In addition, please refer to the risk factors contained in our SEC filings available at www.sec.gov, including our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date on which they are made. We undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements for any reason.