Advanced Extremely High Frequency

Advanced Extremely High Frequency
USAF (Los Angeles AFB) · Public domain · source
Name	Advanced Extremely High Frequency
Type	Satellite communications
Operator	United States Space Force / United States Air Force
Manufacturer	Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman
First launch	2010
Status	Operational

Contents

Advanced Extremely High Frequency The Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) program is a series of satellite communications assets providing protected strategic and tactical communications for national leadership, coalition partners, and tactical commanders. The program supports survivable, secure, global communications linking institutions such as the White House, United States Central Command, United States Strategic Command, and allied commands like North Atlantic Treaty Organization and United Kingdom Ministry of Defence. AEHF evolved from previous programs and intersects with systems and programs including Milstar, Wideband Global SATCOM, Joint Tactical Radio System, and programs overseen by the National Reconnaissance Office and Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.

Overview

AEHF provides anti-jam, low-probability-of-intercept communications linking nodes operated by components like United States European Command, United States Indo-Pacific Command, United States Northern Command, and coalition partners such as Canada, Australia, Netherlands, and Germany. The constellation augments legacy architectures used by agencies including the Department of Defense, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, Central Intelligence Agency, and supports exercises such as Red Flag, Operation Atlantic Resolve, and Talisman Sabre. AEHF satellites operate in geosynchronous orbit and interface with terminals and networks linked to programs like Global Information Grid, Tactical Targeting Network Technology, and Secure Terminal.

Development began as a successor to Milstar with prime contractors Lockheed Martin and subcontractors including Northrop Grumman, Ball Aerospace, and Harris Corporation supplying payloads, antennas, and terminals. Program management involved offices such as the United States Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center, acquisition oversight by Congressional Armed Services Committees, and testing coordinated with facilities like White Sands Missile Range, Vandenberg Space Force Base, and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Design incorporated technologies matured in programs such as Advanced EHF Block II, Wideband Gapfiller, and research from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, California Institute of Technology, and contractors’ laboratories. Launch services used vehicles including Atlas V and launch complexes allied with United Launch Alliance and contractors like Aerojet Rocketdyne.

AEHF satellites provide protected communications across bands historically associated with classified waveforms and cryptographic suites developed with input from National Security Agency, Defense Information Systems Agency, and partner agencies. Specifications include phased-array antennas, crosslinking capabilities, and throughput supporting fixed, mobile, and strategic terminals interoperable with assets such as E-4B Nightwatch, E-6 Mercury, Boeing 707, and tactical platforms like V-22 Osprey, AH-64 Apache, and M1 Abrams. Performance parameters draw on standards and protocols influenced by research institutions including Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Georgia Institute of Technology, and Carnegie Mellon University. Power, mass, and endurance specs reflect satellite buses related to programs by Astrium, Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems, and commercial heritage from Intelsat and Inmarsat architectures.

Operational deployment began with launches in 2010s; milestones involved mission acceptance by Air Force Space Command, orbital tests with United States Strategic Command users, and integration exercises with allies including NATO Allied Command Transformation, Australian Defence Force, and Canadian Armed Forces. AEHF satellites supported contingency operations and command-and-control during events involving Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Inherent Resolve, and multinational exercises such as RIMPAC and Saber Strike. Testing and anomaly resolution engaged organizations like Defense Contract Management Agency and labs including Sandia National Laboratories and Los Alamos National Laboratory.

User terminals and gateways were fielded to services and agencies including United States Army, United States Navy, United States Marine Corps, United States Air Force, United States Space Force, and coalition partners such as United Kingdom Ministry of Defence, Canada Department of National Defence, and Royal Australian Air Force. Integration efforts coordinated with programs such as Joint Tactical Ground Station, Common Terminal Architecture, Wideband Global SATCOM, and shipboard suites used on classes like Arleigh Burke-class destroyer and Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carrier. AEHF also interfaces with airborne command platforms including E-4B Nightwatch and strategic relay assets under U.S. Strategic Command.

Security relies on cryptographic systems and anti-jam waveforms developed with the National Security Agency and operational practices from agencies like Defense Information Systems Agency and United States Cyber Command. Resilience measures include crosslinking, hardened buses influenced by Space Rapid Capabilities Office lessons, and electromagnetic protection tested at facilities such as White Sands Missile Range and Naval Surface Warfare Center. Countermeasure planning considers threats tracked by organizations including North American Aerospace Defense Command, Space Delta 2, and analysis from RAND Corporation, Center for Strategic and International Studies, and industry groups like Aerospace Industries Association.

Category:Military communications satellites