As modem warfare heavily relies on reliable information, effective communication is more integral than ever. ISTAR information, blue-force tracking, and other developments in SATCOM are all now needed to ensure information is available where and when it is needed, across all levels of operations; from those at strategic level to those on the ground. There are four key areas where improvements to SATCOM are being pursued: These are bandwidth, resilience, access, and mobility. Each of these is important on its own, but when considered together they cover the full range of communications a modem military force needs. Increased bandwidth means quite simply that information is shared more quickly; whether this is data, voice or otherwise. While speed is important, even more important is reliability and resilience for military purposes. This means that a SATCOM network needs to be able to keep operating even if essential components are taken out of commission, up to and including the very satellites themselves. Access is also important, since whether at vehicle, patrol or individual level, this information needs to be brought to all relevant participants. An obvious point is that this means that infrastructure must be in place, including having enough satellite terminals available to support all parties. The final consideration is mobility: After all, on the modern battlefield access to all the information in the world is less useful if you have to be rooted to a single spot to receive it. Instead, terminals are being made smaller and more portable so that a greater variety of units can carry them, while the satellite signal itself must be concentrated enough to reach all of these terminals.
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