CARLSBAD, Calif. -- Communications company Viasat Inc. has successfully completed both Federal Aviation Administration certification and U.S. Air Force Materiel Command testing of its GMA 5560-101 antenna.
The global mobile antenna is a Ku-/Ka-band multi-network, multi-mode model, with use in low-risk satellite communications applications for medium- and wide-bodied aircraft operating in the commercial and military sectors.
The unit completed the FAA's DO-160G certification process and Materiel Command's C-17 Modified Airworthiness Certification Criteria (MACC) testing, paving the way for full USAF and foreign military sale C-17 aircraft.
The GMA 5560-101 provides in-flight broadband connectivity, "enabling advanced situational awareness, en-route mission planning, and a host of other applications that demand the highest forward and return link capacity available," according to Viasat.
The antenna also offer compatibility with all existing medium earth orbit, geostationary orbit and future high-capacity satellites like the ViaSat-3.
"The GMA 5560-101 is the first SATCOM antenna to successfully complete DO-160G certification and also pass the full suite of rigorous C-17 MACC testing, with zero gap analysis," said Ken Peterman, president of VIasat Government Systems. "The GMA 5560-101 provides our senior leaders and military forces with the flexibility and resiliency to communicate and operate globally on multiple government and private sector networks both now and well into the future."
