The Air Force’s second Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) satellite successfully arrived at its geostationary-orbit test location at around 6:30 p.m. EST Friday, according to an Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center statement.
The satellite was launched May 4 by the Air Force Space Command’s Space and Missile Systems Center and 45th Space Wing.
The next phase, payload activation, will include deploying the satellite’s payload wings and antennas and turning on the payload electronics. Once complete, the system will begin an approximately two-month on-orbit test phase, the statement said.
AEHF is designed to provide survivable, global, protected and jam-resistant communications for ground, sea and air assets. The joint program is run by the Air Force and also supports special operations, special nuclear operations, missile defense, space operations and intelligence (Defense Daily, Dec. 6). Lockheed Martin [LMT] is the AEHF prime contractor.
AEHF is a follow-on to the Milstar system, augmenting, improving, and expanding the Defense Department’s Military Satellite Communication (MILSATCOM) architecture, according to a statement.