MILSATCOM/GBS Utility Study

Hughes conducted a four-month MILSATCOM/GBS Utility Study that was completed in March, 1997. The purpose of the study was to quantify the military utility of varying levels of high-power wide-bandwidth global broadcast systems within the overall communications architecture during the 1999-2010 timeframe. We examined the impact of adding varying amounts of GBS capability to the communications future military architecture (including both terrestrial and space-based elements). Specific topics were to: identify and quantify measures of utility and effectiveness. Identify how to best use the capability. Assess which information is most useful and the impact of faster delivery. Determine the impact of different operating conditions. The study results show that GBS makes a significant difference acting in concert with other key elements of MILSATCOM architecture. Processing time and tail circuit delay impacts the utility of the delivered information. The biggest payoff in GBS is from the ubiquitous deployment of low-cost terminals to the lowest echelon requiring the information, for that is where the outcome of the conflict is ultimately determined. The results of this study can be scaled, and GBS may provide even greater utility in selected circumstances