SatService, a Calian company, awarded contract to deliver Q/V-band satellite ground station for German Armed Forces

The Calian 4m Q/V-band antenna tracks a satellite pass using high-speed slewing and precision Cassegrain optics

SatService GmbH, a Germany-based provider of advanced satellite ground systems and a subsidiary of Calian Group, announced it has been awarded a contract by the Federal Ministry of Defence of Germany, represented by the University of the Federal Armed Forces in Munich, to deliver an advanced, full-service Q/V-band satellite ground station in support of scientific and modern military satellite communications (SATCOM).

Under the terms of the agreement, SatService will design, manufacture, test and deliver the satellite ground station, including a high-performance 4-metre antenna system. Once complete, the satellite ground station will operate in the Q/V-band frequency range for geostationary orbit (GEO) applications, a capability currently unavailable at the University.

“Germany and the EU are heavily investing in satellite communications capabilities to secure and defend their sovereignty and access to multiple frequency bands is a critical part of their initiative,” said Wilfried Megger, Managing Director, SatService GmbH. “Working with customers like Germany’s defence university, our team will combine decades of engineering experience with our system integration capabilities to deliver a SATCOM solution that is tailor-made to meet their needs. The solution builds on our unique ability to deliver not only the antennas themselves, but the full system — including software, hardware, cyber-secure architectures, and operational support — all with a strong customer-focused approach.”

When delivered, the satellite ground station will serve as part of the terrestrial laboratory of the Bundeswehr University Munich (UniBw M) to support communication in the Q/V frequency range between GEO satellites and ground-based facilities for scientific applications. Additionally, the station will provide the German Armed Forces trainee officers with secure, high-throughput satellite connectivity while educating them on the numerous operational benefits of SATCOM and how operating in geostationary orbit provides continuous regional coverage, increased data capacity, and improved resilience against interference.  The capability also supports C5ISRT—command, control, communications, computers, cyber, intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and targeting functions that underpin modern military operations.