The autonomous revolution that utopian thinkers have long theorised stands atop dozens of complementary technologies, not least of them IoT-connected remote systems that expand the reach of AI sophistication across the breadth of the globe. Daria Boiko, Vice President of IEC Telecom Group’s Commercial Division explains the industry she sees, and the myriad of efficiencies automated technologies can empower.

Optical inter-satellite links have been discussed optimistically across the NewSpace market for a few years now as one of those emergent makeor-break possibilities that haven’t quite charmed the breadth of the industry but promise enviable results on paper. As one of the few players invested in the rewards of taking the risk on new technology, Telesat and its Lightspeed project has certainly been one to watch. J.J. Shaw, Vice President of Information, Security and Operations for Telesat Government Solutions spoke to us at MilSatCom 2022 to discuss the system’s capability.

We are at a point with satellite technology and 5G, that is both exhilarating and hugely challenging especially as applied to military users. Security, resiliency, redundancy, and diversity are all critical to the success of communications networks that support defense operations. Rajeev Gopal, Vice President of advanced defense systems for Hughes Network Systems explains how both technological expertise and the ability to partner are key.

Since the dawn of time mankind has wanted to visit the stars. With the space industry’s rapid growth, we are on track to send more people each year than the year before. These lucky few will experience what human history had only dreamed about. They are the elite of society who can afford such a price. However, a commercial space flight program built around non-fungible tokens (NFTs) could allow everyday civilians to embark on their journey to outer space for the price of the NFT they acquire.

Dominance of the undersea domain – the underwater battlespace – will be achieved by the side best able to understand and exploit the environment and maintain superior situational awareness. Maintaining that network requires reliable and flexible data exchange.

The energy crisis brought on by the ongoing situation in Ukraine has invited many conversations around the sustainability implications of geopolitical events and defense entities, even inviting conversations about defense ESG (ethics, sustainability, and governance). Cvete Koneska, Head of Advisory at security intelligence firm Dragonfly has been fascinated by the evolving debates and was keen to discuss the future sustainable and ethical landscape of the defense industry.

Walton De-Ice has taken an evolutionary approach to antenna protection, creating novel solutions for emerging needs. Its varied offerings are keeping communications up and running in some of the harshest and most remote regions on Earth. Ray Powers, Director of Sales and Marketing, tells us how a 43-year-old company is able to stay on the leading edge.

For the defense industry, developments in drones and unmanned systems are moving forward at an increased pace —from relying on manual input and electrical control to progressively autonomous operations. As Advanced Air Vehicles (AAVs) evolve in intricacy and operational capacity, support and maintenance are becoming a priority. Vital processes are needed to escalate the full capabilities of AAVs as are supportive operating systems capable of sharing information among different collaborators of OEMs, defense forces, and defense contractors.

The Royal Navy is on a digital transformation journey with an ambition to be a fully digital organization by 2025. But breaking free of manual processes was never going to be an easy task for a centuries-old organization steeped in legacy and tradition.

During the last year, the satellite and space industry has been very dynamic with a lot of action, but the overall pace of investment has slowed down in comparison to 2021. Although SpaceX raised some US$2 billion in 2022, the second largest round of funding went to Chinese satellite industry start-up, Galaxy Space, which raised US$150 million. Other big players, including Amazon and Eutelsat/OneWeb, are well-funded but Telesat is still working on getting financing for its multi-billion projects.

Satellites and wireless Communications will continue playing a vital role in the oil and gas industry
due to the fact that field exploration and production facilities operate in harsh environments: very
hot deserts, cold fields and open seas and oceans. They are located hundreds of miles from their
centralized offices in unpopulated areas, and basic requirements such as reliable terrestrial
commutations cannot be granted.

Low earth orbit satellite systems are providing the world significant new methods of surveying, communicating, and sharing information. From their position above, they are being used for surveillance to collect, process and transmit images and/or to enhance communications from earth to earth and/ or within space.

The advantage in using the lower level orbits is that it is a significantly lower cost to deliver and replace satellites compared to higher elevations, such as MEO. In response, we see launch and satellite delivery technology improving.