Viasat has secured a significant contract from the U.S. Space Force (USSF) to develop the Protected Tactical SATCOM Ground (PTS-G) system. This effort is part of the broader Protected Tactical Enterprise Service (PTES) program aimed at delivering resilient and secure satellite communications for U.S. and allied forces. The new award marks a critical milestone in the Pentagon’s push to modernize its tactical communications infrastructure amid growing threats from peer adversaries.
Contract Overview and Strategic Context
On June 3, 2024, Viasat announced it had been awarded a contract by the U.S. Space Systems Command (SSC) to develop and demonstrate key capabilities under the PTS-G program. While financial terms were not disclosed in detail, this award builds on Viasat’s prior work with SSC on protected tactical waveform (PTW)-enabled systems. The PTS-G ground segment is a foundational element of the broader PTES architecture that aims to ensure secure connectivity across contested environments.
The PTES program is designed to provide end-to-end protected tactical satellite communications by integrating space-based assets with advanced ground infrastructure. It supports operations across multiple orbital regimes—GEO, MEO, LEO—and enables seamless interoperability with existing Department of Defense (DoD) networks.
This capability is increasingly critical as adversaries like China and Russia invest heavily in counter-space capabilities including jamming systems, cyber attacks on ground stations, and kinetic anti-satellite weapons. The U.S. military’s shift toward resilient architectures like PTES reflects an urgent need for assured C2 links in degraded or denied environments.
Protected Tactical Waveform at the Core
The cornerstone of PTS-G is its support for the Protected Tactical Waveform (PTW), a next-generation anti-jam waveform developed by MIT Lincoln Laboratory under sponsorship from the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL). PTW provides low probability of intercept/detection (LPI/LPD), frequency hopping spread spectrum techniques, and dynamic bandwidth allocation—all essential features for survivable SATCOM in contested environments.
Unlike legacy waveforms such as MIL-STD-188-165A or commercial DVB-S2X-based systems that are vulnerable to jamming or detection, PTW enables highly resilient communications over both military and commercial satellites. It can operate over Wideband Global SATCOM (WGS), commercial GEO satellites like Inmarsat or Intelsat platforms, and emerging proliferated LEO constellations.
By embedding PTW into ground terminals via software-defined modems and network controllers—as Viasat intends with PTS-G—the DoD can field interoperable terminals capable of switching between networks while maintaining protected throughput.
Key Capabilities of Viasat’s PTS-G Solution
While specific technical details remain classified or proprietary due to operational security concerns, Viasat has outlined several core attributes of its proposed PTS-G solution:
- Multi-orbit interoperability: Enables seamless connectivity across GEO/MEO/LEO constellations including WGS and commercial providers.
- PTW-native architecture: Fully supports Protected Tactical Waveform operations natively within terminal hardware/software stack.
- Cyber-hardened infrastructure: Incorporates zero-trust principles with embedded encryption modules compliant with NSA Type 1 standards.
- Tactical edge integration: Designed for forward-deployed units including mobile command posts and expeditionary forces.
- C2 network compatibility: Interfaces with Joint All-Domain Command & Control (JADC2) frameworks via Link-16 over IP gateways.
This aligns with broader DoD efforts under JADC2 to ensure that warfighters can access real-time ISR data and coordinate fires regardless of domain or service branch—whether operating from an Army brigade TOC or aboard a Navy destroyer in contested waters.
A Competitive Landscape in Protected MILSATCOM
The award positions Viasat alongside other major defense contractors pursuing similar protected SATCOM capabilities. Boeing was previously selected as prime integrator for the overall PTES architecture under a $383 million contract awarded in 2020. Lockheed Martin has also been developing space segment components under related programs such as Evolved Strategic SATCOM (ESS).
The ground segment—PTS-G—is particularly vital because it serves as both entry point and control node for tactical users accessing space-based links. By securing this role within SSC’s ecosystem, Viasat enhances its strategic position amid increasing demand for software-defined terminals that can operate across multiple waveforms and networks without hardware swaps.
This modularity is crucial given how rapidly battlefield conditions evolve—and how quickly adversaries adapt their electronic warfare tactics. A flexible terminal that can switch waveforms or frequencies dynamically offers significant operational advantages over fixed-function legacy systems like AN/TSC-93B or older SNAP terminals used during OIF/OEF eras.
Toward Operational Fielding: Timeline & Testing
The current phase focuses on technology development and demonstration through lab-based integration events followed by field trials at designated DoD test ranges. According to SSC officials speaking at recent industry days, initial operational capability (IOC) for PTES—including PTS-G—is targeted around FY2026–FY2027 depending on testing outcomes and budget allocations.
This timeline coincides with planned launches of next-generation WGS satellites equipped with enhanced anti-jam payloads as well as increased use of commercial LEO services such as Starlink Enterprise or OneWeb Defense offerings integrated into DoD networks via gateway nodes.
If successful in early demonstrations—potentially by late FY2025—Viasat’s system could be fast-tracked into limited fielding under urgent needs authority similar to how MUOS terminals were accelerated during early deployments in Afghanistan circa 2013–2014 due to comms shortfalls in mountainous terrain.
Implications for Allied Interoperability
An often-overlooked aspect of programs like PTS-G is their role in enabling coalition operations. NATO members increasingly rely on U.S.-provided SATCOM services during joint exercises such as BALTOPS or DEFENDER-Europe where secure C2 links are essential across multinational brigades operating under different doctrines but shared objectives.
The ability to offer interoperable terminals supporting standardized waveforms like PTW ensures smoother coordination among Five Eyes partners as well as newer Indo-Pacific allies participating in Pacific Deterrence Initiative activities alongside U.S. forces near Taiwan or South China Sea flashpoints.
A Critical Step Toward Resilient Warfighting Networks
The Viasat PTS-G award underscores how seriously the Pentagon views contested communications environments—not just hypothetically but based on real-world incidents such as Russian GPS jamming near Kaliningrad or Iranian spoofing attacks targeting tanker fleets using maritime VSATs. As space becomes increasingly weaponized, ensuring reliable access to satellite links will be foundational not only for ISR but also fires coordination, logistics tracking, medical evacuation routing, and nuclear C3 continuity plans.
If executed successfully—with full integration into JADC2 frameworks—the PTS-G system could become one of the most consequential enablers of future multi-domain operations across land-sea-air-space-cyber domains where information superiority decides outcomes long before kinetic exchanges begin.
