MILSATCOM Simulation System

The Mobile User Objective System (MUOS) is a satellite-based global wireless communications system that will "support the war fighter with modern cell phone-like capabilities such as multimedia" on any battlefield anywhere in the world.  Ground stations have been in construction for several years, and the geosynchronous satellites will be put in place with a series of launches through 2013. 

When fully operational, the system will support both the "legacy" UHF SATCOM terminals currently in use by military forces, and the Joint Tactical Radio System (JTRS) that are the standard for the future.

The US Navy and the contractors responsible for the MUOS project wanted to achieve two objectives in advance of MUOS being fully deployed and operational:

• allow engineers to create and test all of the applications that will ultimately take advantage of the new communications network, along with verifying interoperability between the space-based and ground-based elements
• enable system managers to develop procedures and train the personnel who will be operating and maintaining the system on an on-going basis

SCALABLE simulation technology, integrated with a variety of live hardware and software components, is being used to precisely model the complete MUOS environment today so that users can gain realistic hands-on experience and will be completely prepared to utilize the communications system when it becomes fully operational.