Hybrid SATCOM: Delivering Resilient and Agile Connectivity Today

About the author: Lauren Barnes is the President of Broadcast Communications Systems at L3Harris Technologies.

Across our history, communication methods have evolved exponentially. Smoke and light signals graduated to semaphore flags. Morse code eventually gave way to radios, then telephones, fax machines and electronic mail. Today, we are all heavily reliant on 5G networks and satellite communications to stay connected. 

Similarly, our adversaries and their tactics have become more advanced, and battlespace communications are a wickedly complex problem. Simply stated, the U.S. military can no longer rely on a singular satellite architecture to guarantee connectivity. Redundancy, agility and resilience are no longer aspirational ideas – they are the new baseline requirements. As the Trusted Disruptor, L3Harris is already delivering the next chapter of human connectivity with Hybrid Satellite Communications (SATCOM).

Across every era, communications have proven to be pivotal to mission success. The need for robust and adaptable satellite communication systems has never been more critical than today. L3Harris is innovating toward a Hybrid SATCOM model that will serve as the central nervous system that modern missions demand: a communication network that’s flexible, resilient and deeply matrixed. Our architecture connects across Low Earth Orbit (LEO), Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) and Geostationary Orbit (GEO) and moves fluidly between commercial and military networks, avoiding single points of failure. This ensures warfighters remain connected – especially in contested or denied environments.

Brilliant & Resilient 

In today’s dynamic threat landscape, the ability to maintain uninterrupted communication is nonnegotiable. L3Harris’ Hybrid SATCOM is resilient by design, offering path diversity that eliminates vulnerabilities by routing data across the best available networks in real time. This redundancy ensures that even if one network is compromised, communication can continue seamlessly through alternative channels. This level of resilience is not just theoretical; it has been validated through rigorous testing and real-world deployments.

Alliances Driving Resilience

L3Harris has significantly broadened its hybrid SATCOM and space-domain footprint through a growing network of high-impact partnerships. Teaming with Amazon’s Kuiper Government Solutions pairs their emerging LEO satellites with our proven systems to deliver fast, reliable connectivity worldwide. This partnership is part of a holistic approach our company is pursuing to collaborate strategically with industry players that possess unique capabilities in specific technology to further expand secure, beyond-line-of-sight coverage. Together, these alliances create a flexible, multi-orbit approach that ensures defense, government and global customers have uninterrupted access to the secure connections they need.  

Defined by Agility

The modern battlefield is unpredictable, and so are the environmental and tactical threats that come with it. L3Harris’ concept for Hybrid SATCOM leverages software-defined agility to adapt dynamically to these threats without compromising throughput or security. This adaptability is crucial for maintaining operational effectiveness in various scenarios, from strategic airlift missions to forward troop deployments. Our systems are designed to respond to changes in the environment instantaneously, ensuring that warfighters have reliable access to information when they need it the most.

Field-Tested, Ready for Action

At L3Harris, we understand that theoretical solutions are not enough. That’s why our Hybrid SATCOM systems are field-tested and shelf-ready today. We have completed successful demonstrations, proving that our systems are not only interoperable and secure but also deployable at scale. This readiness means that our solutions are available now to support both platform primes and direct U.S. Department of War integration. Our commitment to speed ensures that our customers can rely on L3Harris to meet their immediate and future communication needs.

Built for the Modern Warfighter

As often highlighted by our nation’s senior defense leaders, the ability to maintain communication in contested and denied environments is a critical component to the success of modern-day military operations. The importance of a redundant and resilient satellite network architecture cannot be overstated.

L3Harris’ Hybrid SATCOM exceeds these requirements by providing a proven, deployable solution that is available now. By connecting across multiple orbits and seamlessly integrating commercial and military networks, our systems provide superior connectivity that today’s missions demand to keep our warfighters safe. 

The requirements of the modern warfighter are constantly evolving, and our Hybrid SATCOM systems are designed to be future-proof. Whether supporting Command, Control, Communications and Battle Management (C3BM), Joint All-Domain Command and Control (JADC2) or Agile Combat Employment (ACE), our systems provide the durable and flexible communication capabilities that are required for success.

No matter the mission or domain, L3Harris’ Hybrid SATCOM delivers the redundancy, agility and resilience required for modern warfare, ensuring that all elements of the mission remain connected and coordinated.