Performance of Combatant Command satellite (COCOMSat) communications in contested environments

Abstract

This paper presents satellite loading methodologies for loading satellite communications (SATCOM) requirements on commercial Ka-band satellites in contested environments experiencing jamming. Future high-capacity Ka-band commercial satellites will rely on ground concentration nodes (GCNs) and adaptive coding and modulation (ACM) techniques to provide digital video broadcasting/return channel via satellite (DVB/RCS) services for forward and return links to achieve high throughput. Traffic flows between user beams are coordinated through GCNs thus requiring double hops for peer-to-peer traffic while reachback traffic requires single hops relying on terrestrial networks. Cell-like user beams are assembled in arrays designed to enhance user coverage and supportability. Optimal satellite loading in the presence of uplink jamming is derived to minimize satellite and terminals powers and to maximize the supported data rates. Throughput degradation in contested environments results when the transponders begin to operate in a non-linear mode approaching saturation.