Lockheed delivers fifth MUOS satellite

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla., March 10 (UPI) -- The U.S. Navy's Fifth Mobile User Objective System satellite is now in Florida in preparation for launch in May.

The MUOS-5 is part of a network of advanced military satellites and ground stations that are revolutionizing mobile military communications by enabling users to connect into the Global Information Grid for simultaneous voice, video and mission data communication over a secure high-speed Internet Protocol-based system.

MUOS-5, delivered to Cape Canaveral Air Station earlier this month, will complete the Navy's baseline constellation and serve as an on-orbit spare for the system.

"As MUOS-5's launch approaches, MUOS-4 is preparing to begin operations on-station, enabling MUOS' near-global coverage," said Mark Woempner, program director of Lockheed Martin's Narrowband Communications mission area. "We are proud that we will soon be providing our mobile forces access to the system's enhanced communications capabilities from nearly anywhere, including farther into polar regions than ever before."

Lockheed Martin manufactured the MUOS satellite, and the Navy transferred the satellite from its California facility to Florida aboard a U.S. Air Force C-5 Galaxy aircraft.

Lockheed Martin said required MUOS ground stations for the network are complete and more than 55,000 currently fielded radio terminals can be upgraded to be MUOS-compatible.

Once fully operational, the MUOS network will provide 16 times the capacity of the legacy ultra-high frequency communications satellite system.