The Egyptian Ministry of Defense (MoD), which manages the Egyptian Armed Forces, sought to build a new defense VSAT network that was reliable, secure, and could support a broad range of both fixed and mobile applications.
Just like the majority of the defense agencies, they needed a communications solutions that can handle increasingly complex operations. More and more defense agencies require support for more bandwidth-intensive applications such as Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance (ISR) as well as new emerging use cases such as the connected solider and the Internet of Military Things (IoMT). As global operations also grow more dispersed, defense users need persistent connectivity no matter where they are—whether that’s a remote outpost, an aircraft, a maritime vessel, an on-the-move vehicle, or all of the above.
Defense users expect their mission-critical communications to work—quickly, securely and easily. They need a network that lets them share ensitive and classified data—whether that’s sensor data, video feeds, voice or more—to better coordinate resources and to build a common operating picture. Resilient networks that are available no matter what are key—whether on the move, on the pause, at sea, in the air, under cyber-attack or more.
On the battlefield, communications platforms must adhere to size, weight and power (SWaP) requirements, as satellite terminals need to be transported and sometimes carried into conflict areas. As such, terminals must also be quick and easy to deploy. A platform that can handle these increasingly complex operations is ST Engineering iDirect’s Evolution Defense platform.
The Solution
The Egyptian MoD primarily selected the Evolution Defense platform for its scalable and flexible hub solution to respond to multiple requirements. Additionally they needed a platform that had high security standards. ST Engineering iDirect was already the incumbent within the top government agencies and was the market leader among VSAT service providers in Egypt, which facilitated interoperability across agencies.
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A key feature is ST Engineering iDirect’s TRANSEC capability, which is built into its defense-grade product line and exceeds the requirements set by the Egyptian MoD. Other competitors require a third-party box. ST Engineering iDirect’s TRANSEC encrypts everything from layer 2, data-link layer, and above and adds an extra layer of encryption on top of that. Both one-way and two-way TRANSEC is included.
On the remote side, the 9-Series modems were also a key consideration. The Egyptian MoD equipped their naval ships with 9350 modems, which is designed for high-bandwidth, mobility applications. The SWaP-optimized 950mp is used for troops on the move for its compact size, ease of portability, and low-power requirements.
The Egyptian MoD continues to expand their ST Engineering iDirect network to provide reliable and secure satellite connectivity to their armed forces for mission-critical communications.
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