German submarine specialist ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) has awarded Spanish company Indra a contract to deliver satellite communications systems for two submarines.
The Spanish company did not specify which submarines the systems will be delivered for.
The contract is for Ku band systems mounted on a three-axis stabilized platform which will ensure that vessels remain connected even in the most difficult sea states, Indra said.
Indra has been a technology supplier for ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems since 2009, when this company acquired its first Indra satcom terminals and electronic defense systems for U212 class submarines for the Germany Navy.
Since that first project, Indra has collaborated with ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems to supply its submarine satellite communications systems to the Portuguese, Italian and Turkish navies.
Indra further said the satcom would be tested in military Ka Band which will provide greater bandwidth than the X Band presently used by many navies.
Satcom terminals provide fast, secure communications with a greater bandwidth than line-of-sight (LoS) communications. This higher data rate reduces the submarine’s exposure time on the surface, making it more difficult to be detected by radars of vessels and aircraft and therefore increasing its stealth capacity and the safety of the crew.