Comtech President and CEO, Ken Peterman, and Spectra Group (UK) Ltd. CEO, Simon Davies, are two innovative thought leaders driving game changing innovation for the U.S. Department of Defence (DoD), UK Ministry of Defence (MoD), and coalition partners through the design, development and delivery of next generation networking capabilities that are uniquely aligned with key modernisation priorities. Through a strategic partnership, the two companies are responding to a significantly growing demand for Comtech’s next generation Troposcatter Family of Systems (FoS), which can deliver secure, resilient, blended, and interoperable beyond-line-of-sight (BLOS) capabilities for the U.S. DoD, UK MoD, and other coalition forces.
Peterman and Davies have a proven track record of success leading top aerospace, technology, and defence companies and introducing new technologies, which have helped enable U.S. and coalition military forces to maintain a strategic advantage for decades. Peterman and Davies have known each other for some time, and both received our coveted BATTLESPACE Businessman of the Year Award. Davies was our featured winner in 2017, and he presented Peterman with the Businessman of the Year Award in 2018. It was as apparent then as it is now that these two are leaders who inspire their teams and are continuing to help fundamentally change the defence technology landscape through their unique approaches to innovation.
BATTLESPACE Editor Julian Nettlefold, met with Peterman and Davies at DSEI in London to discuss the nature of the Comtech and Spectra Group partnership and how the companies are leveraging Comtech’s next generation Troposcatter systems to advance the future DoD and coalition operations.
“Comtech and Spectra Group have a longstanding and successful working relationship,” said Peterman. “We are thrilled to have Simon and Spectra Group as a key partner here in the UK. It was an easy decision to partner with Spectra Group given the company’s deep understanding of how the UK MoD’s deployed command, control, communications, computers and intelligence (C4I) needs will evolve as well as Spectra’s focus on delivering highly differentiated turnkey systems rather than commoditised products.”
“This a truly unique partnership that combines the best of our innovative cultures and capabilities,” said Davies. “We believe Comtech’s next generation Troposcatter FoS will play an integral role in some of the most critical defence missions around the world—and we see these systems as a key Combined Joint All Domain Command and Control (CJADC2) enabler as well.”
In May, DoD officials announced they would affix an additional consonant to the front end of the popular acronym Joint All Domain Command & Control (JADC2). Today, CJADC2 or “Combined” JADC2 not only emphasises the importance of interoperable communications throughout air, land, sea, space and cyber domains, it also stipulates robust and near real-time connectivity with international partners.
Davies went on to discuss how this unique BLOS technology provides a number of advantages when it comes to delivering vital information in all-domain operating environments.
“Our Troposcatter FoS can play a central role for UK MoD and coalition CJADC2 efforts,” said Davies. “These systems deliver advanced, interoperable BLOS communications and serve as an alternative, or complement to HF and SATCOM. Troposcatter FoS also provides much greater data throughput at extremely low latency. In addition, another major advantage over SATCOM is that it is extremely difficult to detect and subsequently deny the service from sophisticated electronic warfare threats and also has the ability to operate independent of GPS.”
During the early stages of the partnership, Comtech and Spectra Group took a collaborative approach to address UK and coalition defence customers unique near-term C4I needs as well as future CJADC2 priorities.
“Leveraging our unique cultures of innovation, proven technology leadership and differentiated expertise, we began looking at how we can work together to solve some of the most difficult challenges for the UK MoD and coalition partners look to continue to maintain and information advantage in an era of technology driven deterrence,” said Peterman. “Our next generation Troposcatter FoS present the UK MoD and coalition partners with a new layer of connectivity that helps ensure warfighters get the secure, resilient, and robust information they need at the right time, regardless of the operating environment. And our FoS are also unique in that they complement existing networks, thrive when other networks are disrupted and can interoperate with other DoD, UK MoD, and coalition systems.”
“Through our deep understanding of UK and coalition operations, we saw Troposcatter FoS as a true game changing technology,” said Davies. “Today, these systems are already providing the UK MoD and other partners with differentiated capabilities that will enable warfighters to maintain an information advantage and help advance core CJADC2 communications priorities.”
Both the DoD and UK MoD are driving a growing demand for Comtech’s next generation Troposcatter FoS.
In September, Spectra Group announced the company was awarded a strategically significant $8 million contract to deliver Comtech’s Compact Over-the horizon Mobile Expeditionary Terminal (COMET) Troposcatter systems and a comprehensive spares support package for 7 Signal Group and use by the UK’s strategic land warfare asset 3 (UK) Division. And in July, Comtech announced it received a $30 million contract to provide its next generation Troposcatter FoS in support of U.S. Army tactical communications.
The systems have also proven to be extremely effective during the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. In March of last year, Comtech donated a number of its next generation Troposcatter FoS to support the defence of Ukraine at the request of the Ukrainian government. Shortly after the donation, Comtech was awarded a Foreign Military Sales (FMS) contract to supply additional Troposcatter FoS in support of the Ukrainian Armed Forces (UAF).
“Our Troposcatter FoS are proving to deliver a number of advantages in an operational environment,” said Peterman. “With performance enhancements that represent up to a one-thousand-fold increase over former generations of Troposcatter systems, our FoS are delivering vital resilient, secure, and robust connectivity when and where it matters most.”
Comtech and Spectra Group also have provided Troposcatter FoS to other areas of the globe and are looking to continue to expand as the demand for interoperable all-domain communications continues to grow. Today, Spectra Group has sold over 48 terminals to international partners and Comtech and Spectra estimate they will provide an additional 90 terminals to coalition customers over the next few months.
“Comtech’s Troposcatter FoS systems are currently in use by defence organisations across the UK, Denmark and other coalition nations,” said Davies. “With advanced, secure, resilient, and interoperable communications capabilities being a key need for initiatives such as CJADC2, we anticipate we will continue to see a growing demand for our Troposcatter FoS from more coalition partners.”
“With the most deployed Troposcatter communications systems in the world, our feature rich FoS can be seamlessly integrated with other defence communications systems to provide the DoD, UK MoD, and other coalition partners with integrated, resilient, and flexible network architectures that can be used to significantly enhance the situational awareness picture in nearly every environment,” added Peterman.
A natural progression of CJADC2 is the convergence or hybridisation of networks and communications systems. Peterman and Davies see Comtech’s Troposcatter FoS a key enabler for this convergence.
“Our Troposcatter FoS not only enable resilient, blended BLOS communications, but these systems also serve as a complement to other military networks—adding a new layer of complimentary connectivity that will help bring forward smart-enabled applications and other advanced CJADC2 capabilities,” said Peterman. “We have conducted multiple demonstrations that illustrate the value of Troposcatter in a hybrid communications environment. During SOF week this year, we successfully demonstrated our Troposcatter systems’ ability to blend multiple communications systems to hybrid communications capabilities to warfighters operating in all-domain environments.”
It’s clear Comtech’s next generation Troposcatter FoS are already advancing core moderinsation efforts and as the DoD and coalition forces look to maintain a strategic advantage, Comtech and Spectra Group are standing ready to new technologies that will advance CJADC2 capabilities for decades to come.
Chepstow Military Raceday
Simon Davies and Ken Peterman are long-term supporters of the annual Chepstow Military Raceday. Now in its 10th year and growing the Raceday has become a vital date in the racing and military charity programme.
Julian Nettlefold started the Raceday in 2013 in tribute to his late mother who cared for his 100% disabled father with no hands and one eye unstintingly for 63 years.
“My mother was denied an Old Age Pension aged 85, because she had not paid her stamp. I happened to point out that was because she had been caring for my father for 63 years. The Raceday is to draw to the attention of the MoD the vital role the carer plays in the rehabilitation of the wounded soldier. It has been proven that with the right carer, the wounded soldier recovers more rapidly and has a happier existence thereafter.”
He asked Ken and Simon why they are such strong supporters of the Raceday.
“Being a veteran myself and understanding the vital work and support that SSAFA provides to the serving military and veterans it is essential that this is kept in forefront of the public’s mind and we are honoured to support this extremely worthwhile cause” Simon Davies said.
“Chepstow Race Day is an incredible way to give back to the veteran community and I am honored to be a longtime supporter of the event,” said Ken Peterman. “Race Day provides an opportunity to recognise the men and women of the United Kingdom who have served their country and raise funds for critical charity organisations, which are providing direct support to veterans and their families in need of physical or emotional care. As a continued sponsor of this year’s Chepstow Race Day, Comtech is honored to be part such a fantastic event.”