Air Force Prepares to Launch First

Advanced Extremely High Frequency System

            LOS ANGELES AIR FORCE BASE, El Segundo, Calif. - The first launch of the Advanced Extremely High Frequency System is scheduled to occur Saturday, Aug.14, at 0713 EDT from Cape Canaveral, Fla. The Advanced EHF System is a joint service satellite communications system that will provide survivable, global, secure, protected  and jam-resistant communications for high-priority military ground, sea and air assets. 

 Advanced EHF will allow the National Command Authority and Unified Combatant Commanders to control their tactical and strategic forces at all levels of conflict to include the contested electromagnetic warfighting environment that includes hostile enemy jamming as well as the environments encountered in a nuclear scintillating environment. AEHF supports the attainment of information superiority.

The system consists of four satellites in geosynchronous earth orbit that provides 10 times the throughput of the 1990s-era Milstar satellites with a substantial increase in coverage for users.  AEHF will provide continuous 24-hour coverage between 65 degrees north and 65 degrees south latitude.

The AEHF system is composed of three segments: space (the satellites), ground (mission control and associated communications links) and terminals (the users).  The segments will provide communications in a specified set of data rates from 75 bps to approximately 8 Mbps. 

The space segment consists of a cross-linked constellation of three satellites.  The mission control segment controls satellites on orbit, monitors satellite health and provides communications system planning and monitoring. 

This segment is highly survivable, with both fixed and mobile control stations.  System uplinks and crosslinks will operate in the extremely high frequency range and downlinks in the super high frequency range. 

The terminal segment includes fixed and ground mobile terminals, ship and submarine terminals and airborne terminals used by all of the Services and international partners (Canada, Netherlands and UK).

The first launch of the AEHF-1 will be using an Atlas V launch vehicle.  The Atlas V family of Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicles represents our commitment to assured access to space for the U.S. government. Since their debut in August 2002, Atlas V vehicles have achieved 100-percent mission success in launches from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla.  The Atlas V rocket is manufactured by United Launch Alliance.

The Air Force Space Command's Space and Missile Systems Center, located at Los Angeles Air Force Base, Calif., is the U.S. Air Force's center of acquisition excellence for acquiring and developing military space systems including six wings and three groups responsible for GPS, military satellite communications, defense meteorological satellites, space launch and range systems, satellite control network, space based infrared systems, intercontinental ballistic missile systems and space situational awareness capabilities.

Satellite Coordinates for the launch are included below

14 August (All times are Eastern Daylight Time)

Test Signals Begin: 6:30 a.m.

Broadcast start: 6:47 a.m.

Satellite-Galaxy 3 Transponder-G3C-8C

Band-C-Band Analog

Orbital position-95 degrees W

Carrier-IntelSat

Bandwidth-36MHz

Uplink Freq-6085 MHz (Horizontal)

Downlink Freq-3860MHz (Vertical)

Webcast Simulcast: Begins at 6:47 a.m. EDT:  http://www.ulalaunch.com/site/pages/Multimedia_Webcast.shtml

Get the latest Los Angeles Air Force Base News at www.losangeles.af.mil

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