The U.S. Army is a branch of the U.S. military that plays a significant role in space, primarily as a major user of space-based capabilities. It relies on satellite communications, GPS, and missile warning systems to support terrestrial operations. The Army's Space and Missile Defense Command (USASMDC) operates the 1st Space Brigade, which utilizes satellites and space technology for communication, intelligence, and force protection, working with partners like the U.S. Space Force. Key activities include space operations, missile defense, and developing space-related technologies for future warfare. Associated keywords: satellite communications, missile defense, space operations, intelligence, GPS, USASMDC.
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A typical Army brigade has over 2,500 GPS-enabled devices and over 250 satellite communications enabled devices.
Army units provide space-based positioning, navigation and timing, situational awareness, communications, missile warning, and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance.
The Space and Missile Systems Center plans to order as many as 1,500 Block 1 modems for the Air Force and the Army in the coming years.
The U.S. Space Force’s Space and Missile Systems Center awarded contracts each worth up to $500,000,000 to Raytheon and L3Harris to develop and produce cyber secure satellite communications modems for the Department of the Air Force and the Army.
The National Guard's 2020 funding for space operations includes $71,000,000 for 1,100 personnel assigned to Air National Guard units and $5,000,000 for 152 personnel from the Army National Guard.
The People’s Liberation Army Strategic Support Force was established in 2015.
There are currently 24 Army officers and 14 Navy officers assigned to the U.S. Space Force headquarters.
Under the separate Mounted Assured Positioning, Navigation and Timing System (MAPS) program, the Army is buying devices to be installed in ground vehicles to operate in GPS-denied or degraded environments.
Ball Aerospace received a $2,300,000 contract, partially funded by the U.S. Army, to test a phased array on a ground vehicle so a single terminal could communicate with LEO, MEO, and GEO satellites.
Vendors are asked to build up to 25 prototype handheld PNT devices for the U.S. Army that can operate where GPS signals are degraded or disrupted.
The Army is exploring LEO and MEO constellations to obtain significantly more throughput, bandwidth, and transport capacity with lower latency.
The Space and Missile Defense Center of Excellence will work with Army Futures Command in areas such as assured positioning, navigation, and timing focused on developing alternative technologies to GPS.
The Army is seeking alternatives to current satellite communications provided by GEO systems to address insufficient capacity and high latency in satellite links.
The Army expects some commercial LEO and MEO constellations to provide new options by 2023, including managed services and blended capabilities.
The Army’s 82nd Airborne Division will be the first unit to receive the new network in 2021.
The Army will work with the Pentagon’s Space Development Agency, which plans to develop a large communications constellation in LEO known as a transport layer.
The U.S. Army plans to buy commercial broadband services from satellite constellations in low Earth orbit (LEO) and medium Earth orbit (MEO).
A future Army brigade might deploy with about 40 small satellite dishes compared with about 11 satellite dishes deployed by a brigade today.
The Army currently uses a mix of commercial and government-provided bandwidth from satellites in geosynchronous orbit (GEO).
Army Futures Command is based in Austin, Texas and is a new organization created to provide long-term guidance to the Army on modernization and preparing for future wars.