The American Atlas-5 launch vehicle (by the way, in the first stage of which the Russian RD-180 rocket engine is used as a power plant) on October 17, 2018 successfully launched the latest modern military communications satellite AEHF (Advanced Extremely) into Earth orbit. High Frequency). The rocket was launched from the launch site of the launch site at Cape Canaveral in Florida.
The AEHF satellite is designed to provide a strategic and operational-tactical level to a closed, jammed, and immune communications of consumers of the US military department anywhere in the world.
The artificial Earth satellite launched into Earth orbit complemented the AEHF communication system already available from the Americans with a grouping of up to four vehicles. The capabilities of this system as a whole provide data transmission at a speed 10 times higher than that of similar satellite communication systems of the previous generation, which makes it possible to exchange large amounts of information, including transmitting a streaming video signal in real time.
The cost of the entire program is estimated at $ 15 billion. The project implementation was entrusted to the specialists of the American Lockheed-Martin Corporation.
In total, six AEHF communication satellites will be deployed. The next launch of the fifth satellite is scheduled for July 2019.
In coordination with the Pentagon, in addition to the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and the Netherlands can use this system in the interests of their national armed forces.
