CARLSBAD, Calif., May 29, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — Viasat Inc. (NASDAQ: VSAT), a global communications company, today announced the availability of its new Ka-band Global Aero Terminal (GAT-5518) to provide in-flight connectivity (IFC) services on government and business aviation aircraft — from government-focused Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) and fixed-wing military platforms to VIP business and corporate jets. The compact terminal delivers the industry’s highest data rates for an 18 inch antenna, providing the highest forward link capacity (to the aircraft)  and highest return link capacity (from the aircraft) to perform high-bandwidth applications such as advanced video streaming services.

The GAT-5518 is the latest satellite communications (SATCOM) innovation to join Viasat’s broad portfolio of Ka-band aero antenna systems. Use cases include:

• Government and military mission sets: The GAT-5518 can meet a variety of requirements for UAV and fixed-wing aircraft, from performing real-time intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR); enabling operational-support airlift missions; moving personnel and equipment across the battlefield; providing advanced situational awareness; en-route mission planning; MedEvac and telemedicine services; search and rescue; and border and maritime surveillance to name a few. Additionally, the terminal was designed to leverage Viasat’s Hybrid Adaptive Network (HAN) architecture, which allows users to seamlessly operate across commercial and government SATCOM networks. The HAN architecture conceives an end-to-end network that provides mitigation against congestion situations, intentional and unintentional interference sources and cyber threats through implementation of layered resiliency in highly-contested environments.
• Business and corporate jet applications: The GAT-5518 terminal delivers an enhanced solution for business and corporate aircraft, providing VIP passengers with superior performance for live video teleconferencing, voice calls, corporate VPN access, web browsing and audio, video and live TV streaming among other applications.

“We’re focused on delivering advanced antenna systems that meet in-flight connectivity requirements across multiple airframe and end-user types,” said Kent Leka, general manager, Antenna Systems at Viasat. “In designing and developing new aero terminals we take into consideration the broad user base and application sets to ensure the terminal’s viability across various markets. We’re confident the compact GAT-5518 will provide broader operational flexibility to enhanced reliability and resiliency to meet the diverse needs of business and military users.”

The GAT-5518 terminal completed the rigorous Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) D0-160G certification process. This certification confirms the terminal’s ability to provide reliable IFC services across the full International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Ka-band spectrum, which includes commercial and Mil-Ka frequency bands; across varying polarity layouts; across multiple orbital regimes, including both medium earth orbit (MEO) and geosynchronous (GEO) satellite systems; and across multiple network and ground infrastructures. The terminal is also expected to be forward-compatible, enabling it to leverage current and future Viasat satellite systems, as well as operate over third party satellite networks.

The terminal is made up of a two-axis steerable, two-way Ka-band antenna with an integrated antenna control unit (ACU), an antenna power supply unit and a modem. The GAT-5518’s antenna can be tail, fuselage or hatch-mounted. 

Availability
The Viasat GAT-5518 is available today, and was shipped ahead of schedule to key government and military customers.

About Viasat
Viasat is a global communications company that believes everyone and everything in the world can be connected. For more than 30 years, Viasat has helped shape how consumers, businesses, governments and militaries around the world communicate. Today, the Company is developing the ultimate global communications network to power high-quality, secure, affordable, fast connections to impact people’s lives anywhere they are—on the ground, in the air or at sea. To learn more about Viasat, visit: www.viasat.com, go to Viasat’s Corporate Blog, or follow the Company on social media at: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter or YouTube.

Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements that are subject to the safe harbors created under the Securities Act of 1933 and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Forward-looking statements include statements about Viasat’s GAT-5518 terminal features and advantages, including forward compatibility, broader operational flexibility, enhanced reliability, expected performance, interoperability and resiliency. Readers are cautioned that actual results could differ materially from those expressed in any forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ include: risks associated with satellite failures, including the effect of any anomaly, operational failure or degradation in performance; product defects; regulatory issues; technologies that do not perform according to expectations; our ability to successfully develop, introduce and sell new technologies, products and services; changes in the global business environment and economic conditions; delays in approving U.S. government budgets and cuts in government defense expenditures; reduced demand for products and services as a result of continued constraints on capital spending by customers; changes in relationships with, or the financial condition of, key customers or suppliers; our reliance on a limited number of third parties to manufacture and supply our products; increased competition; and introduction of new technologies and other factors affecting the communications and defense industries generally. In addition, please refer to the risk factors contained in Viasat’s SEC filings available at www.sec.gov, including Viasat’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date on which they are made. Viasat undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements for any reason.

Copyright © 2019 Viasat, Inc. All rights reserved. Viasat, the Viasat logo and the Viasat signal are registered trademarks of Viasat, Inc. All other product or company names mentioned are used for identification purposes only and may be trademarks of their respective owners.

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SOURCE Viasat, Inc.