Milstar
OEM: Lockheed Martin
First Produced: 1994
Status: Active
Role: Legacy protected strategic EHF SATCOM constellation
Primary Operator: U.S. Space Force
OEM Website: lockheedmartin.com
Milstar is the legacy Extremely High Frequency and Super High Frequency protected SATCOM constellation that served as the backbone of U.S. strategic and high-priority tactical communications through the 1990s and 2000s. Five operational Milstar satellites deliver low-data-rate and medium-data-rate jam-resistant links between senior leaders, nuclear forces, and deployed commanders.
Milstar is being superseded by the Advanced Extremely High Frequency constellation, which remains backward-compatible with Milstar terminals to ease transition. Several Milstar vehicles continue to operate as augmentation and redundancy for AEHF as the Space Force plans the future Evolved Strategic SATCOM replacement.
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