Communications provider Rohde & Schwarz announced on 29 May 2024 that it has introduced R&S®GSACSM, a comprehensive software suite designed to ensure efficient and reliable communications for military satellite communication (satcom) systems.

With the increasing reliance on satcom for mission-critical communications and morale, welfare, recreation (MWR) services, R&S®GSACSM is designed to offer a powerful solution to maintain reliable and secure communication links, even in challenging operational environments.

“Satcom plays a crucial role in transmitting various data types from deployment areas to headquarters via geostationary Earth orbit (GEO) satellites,” the company explained in a press release. “Ground-based deployable satcom stations in different configurations are utilised by the armed forces to transmit video files, voice data, and other crucial information from operational areas to headquarters. Ensuring uninterrupted communication is of paramount importance for these transfers, and R&S®GSACSM provides early warning of potential communication failures, ensuring uninterrupted and failure-free communication.”

R&S®GSACSM combines various features, including classic spectrum analyser functions, 24/7 trapping systems, advanced signal detection, and signal analysis and classification. The software suite ensures reliable monitoring of communication quality and identification of operational impairments. It also addresses the challenges of non-standardised satcom systems, evolving industry activities, mission-critical communication links, and growing interference from sources such as jamming, incorrect frequency/alignment and natural interferences.

“By providing automatic configuration and error detection capabilities, R&S®GSACSM helps armed forces maintain reliable and secure communication links, even in the face of these challenges,” the company stated. “By providing early warning of potential communication failures and identifying impairments during operation, R&S®GSACSM helps armed forces maintain mission-critical communication links, ensuring mission success and personnel safety.”

Rohde & Schwarz’s R&S®GSACSM is designed to allow military satcom systems to maintain reliable and secure communication links, even in challenging operational environments. (Image: Rohde & Schwarz)