SUNNYVALE, Calif., Dec. 19 (UPI) -- The U.S. Navy's first Mobile User Objective System satellite, due for launch in February, has been delivered by Lockheed Martin.
Technicians will perform post-shipment testing and payload integration at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida before the satellite is placed atop an Atlas V launch vehicle.
The MUOS is a narrowband tactical satellite communications system for improved military communications.
"MUOS will greatly enhance the capabilities of the warfighter to communicate on the move," said Mark Pasquale, Lockheed Martin vice president and MUOS program manager.
"The system will provide military users 16 times the communications capacity of existing satellites, including simultaneous voice, video and data capability enhancements and we look forward to achieving mission success for our customer."
Lockheed said the MUOS is made up of four geostationary Earth orbit satellites, as well as an additional on-orbit spare. The system has a fiber-optic terrestrial network that links the satellites to four ground stations.
Each satellite has two payloads enabling integration with the existing architecture while upgrading military users to the new wideband code division multiple access system.
Warfighters will gain point-to-point and netted communications services at enhanced data rates, on-demand voice, video and data transfer.
