In the rapidly evolving landscape of naval warfare, the emerging prevalence of autonomous or smart unmanned surface vessels (USVs) is transforming operating concepts, particularly in vast maritime spaces and complex littoral zones. These uncrewed vessels offer a revolutionary way to extend naval reach and enhance operational efficiency. However, to fully leverage the capabilities of these autonomous platforms, robust, resilient, and low-cost connectivity is essential. The Kymeta product line of on-the-move SATCOM terminals presents compelling solutions, ensuring seamless communication for the next generation of autonomous surface vessels.

Addressing Connectivity Challenges in Naval Operations

One of the primary challenges for naval forces is achieving real-time management and control of an expanding fleet of autonomous vessels. While highly capable, unmanned surface vessels (USVs) rely on continuous and secure communication links for coordination, remote control, and data sharing. Kymeta terminals enable beyond-line-of-sight connectivity, ensuring that naval forces can effectively manage, monitor, and control their dispersed assets in real time. This capability is especially critical in:

• Complex littoral operations, where terrain may hinder traditional communication methods.
• Vast expanses of open water where task groups can be thousands of miles apart.

Multi-Orbit Connectivity for Assured Performance

Moreover, the Kymeta Osprey™ u8 — hybrid-GEO-LEO (HGL) terminal supports multi-orbit communications, offering assured data-sharing between manned and unmanned platforms, even in contested environments. This advanced capability enables:

• Real-time intelligence sharing: vital sensor data, including intelligence and reconnaissance information, is seamlessly delivered to the cloud in real time, accessible by any authorized node.
• Man-in-the-loop operations: supports synchronization of kinetic and non-kinetic effects, enabling rapid decision-making in dynamic combat scenarios.
• Operational resilience: assured connectivity ensures continuous communication, even in environments where traditional methods might fail.

Kymeta Osprey u8 – HGL: Empowering Autonomous Naval Operations

The Osprey u8 – HGL supports connecting distributed line-of-sight (LOS) mesh networks, making it particularly beneficial for coordinating widely dispersed groups of long-range USVs. By leveraging multiple communication pathways, the Osprey u8 – HGL ensures reliable backhaul capabilities for these networks, even in GPS-denied environments, which is becoming more common in contested maritime zones. The terminal’s multi-path approach significantly enhances success rates in such conditions, enabling USVs to continue operating effectively even when GPS signals are disrupted.

Advanced Design for Operational Efficiency

All Kymeta SATCOM terminals are designed with operational efficiency in mind, featuring:

• Low-profile, compact design: reduces the vessel’s radar signature, ensuring stealth in contested environments.
• Low power consumption: crucial for long-duration operations, particularly on platforms with limited power budgets.

The Osprey u8 – HGL is particularly well-suited for:

• C2 vessels that must persist for long durations in contested environments.
• Attritable platforms that may only be in operation for limited duration or a specific mission, low-cost, modified commercial variants may be used for operations at scale without sacrificing performance.

Vital Communication for Autonomous Systems

As naval forces continue to adopt autonomous and semiautonomous systems, the Kymeta u8 terminals provide a vital communication link. Key benefits include:

• Robust connectivity: ensures seamless communication for the most intelligent autonomous surface vessels across a range of missions.
• Resilient operations: maintains reliable performance in remote, autonomous, and GPS-denied environments.
• Efficient design: Kymeta u8 terminals offer unmatched value to the modern naval fleet, providing critical capabilities to manage, control, and communicate with a growing fleet of autonomous vessels, all while ensuring reduced cost, size, and power consumption.

Shaping the Future of Naval Operations

In summary, the Kymeta u8 terminals are pivotal in advancing the employment of USVs, ensuring persistent, scalable, and highly resilient communications that will shape the future of naval operations in the vast and contested maritime domain.