The plane caught the satellite with a laser — and this is not fiction, but a real test for the future army

How a laser beam replaces a radio

Imagine: an airplane in the sky, a satellite in orbit. There are no radio waves between them, but a thin laser beam. In September, such a connection became operational for the first time in a real flight. General Atomics and Kepler Communications conducted tests during which the laser terminal on board the aircraft established and maintained an optical connection with a small satellite in low orbit.

It's not just "getting in touch" — it's the most precise job: catching a pencil—thick ray flying from orbit on a moving plane is like shooting a needle into a needle from a distance of 500 km.

General Atomics and Kepler: Who's behind it

General Atomics is a well—known developer of drones and military systems. This time, they put their optical terminal on the De Havilland Twin Otter, a small twin—engine aircraft that is often used for testing. The terminal was mounted on a 12-inch tower to freely "look" into the sky.

The satellite belongs to the Canadian company Kepler Communications, which is building a network of small devices for global data transmission. It was equipped with an optical terminal from Tesat-Spacecom, the German leader in this field.

Why is this important for the army

Radio communication is reliable, but slow and vulnerable. Laser communication is much faster, almost impossible to intercept and does not interfere. For the army, this means:

• Ultra-fast transmission of video from drones, intelligence, maps.
• Resistance to electronic suppression.
• The ability to work in a dense electromagnetic environment where the radio is "clogged".

The US Space Force is actively working on the PWSA, a distributed network of satellites. The laser connection between them and the planes will make this network alive and reactive.

Catching a ray in the sky — how does it work in general

The terminal on the plane first finds the satellite by coordinates. Then he turns on the tracking system: mirrors and sensors begin to adjust the position in order to keep the beam. When the signal is caught, synchronization takes place, and only then data is exchanged. Even pitching or turning the aircraft should not break the connection.

During the test, the connection was held long enough to transmit data packets in both directions. This is the main success.

Sources

1. Satellite Today — General Atomics & Kepler air-to-space laser-comms demo
2. Yahoo Finance — GA-Kepler optical link success
3. General Atomics — official release on the air-space laser test
4. SatcomRus — laser space comms as a 2025 trend
5. HighTech+ — Stanford study reverses autism symptoms in mice
6. FlightGlobal — Royal Navy’s first Malloy T-150 drone resupply
7. Maritime Executive — ship-to-ship drone deliveries
8. Forces News — HMS Prince of Wales & HMS Dauntless drone flight
9. Naval Technology — Royal Navy drone logistics potential
10. BBC News — official release and video of the Malloy T-150 mission

The US Space Force has given 37 million to five companies for "impenetrable" satellite communications

 

The US Space Force has made a bet on the future of military communications: They selected five large companies to develop a new generation of secure tactical satellite communications, a technology that will allow troops to communicate anywhere in the world, even in the face of severe interference or cyber attacks.

The list of lucky ones includes: Boeing, Northrop Grumman, Viasat, Intelsat and Astranis. Each of them will receive a share of the total pie — $37.2 million distributed over six-month contracts. The goal is simple: in six months to propose prototypes or concepts of systems that can operate in combat conditions while remaining resistant to suppression, hacking and electronic attacks.

Such a connection is critically important. Imagine: a SWAT team in a remote desert, a drone over enemy territory, or a ship in the open ocean — they all need to transmit data quickly and reliably without fear that the signal will be intercepted or jammed. This is exactly what the new "secure tactical communications" is supposed to provide.

Of particular interest is the participation of Astranis, a relatively young player specializing in miniature satellites. This may mean that the Pentagon is looking not only for powerful, but also flexible, quick-to-deploy solutions.

So far, this is only the initial stage — six months for ideas and prototypes. But it's already clear: The United States is preparing for the wars of the future, where control of space and communications decides everything. And now they have a team that must make sure that American troops are always in touch — and out of enemy reach.

The Pentagon is striving to create a military space Internet, but the project is still far from being realized

The US military aims to transform satellite communications into something similar to the Internet — flexible, fast and providing seamless compatibility between different networks. However, as Pentagon representatives stated at the MilSatcom USA industry conference, this long-planned military space Internet project is still in its early stages and is far from being fully implemented.

In the modern era, there are significantly more commercial satellites than military ones, which creates a unique ecosystem that the US Department of Defense seeks to use for its needs. The main goal is to integrate military and commercial satellite networks into a single, reliable and scalable communication system capable of providing rapid data exchange in any environment.

Despite ambitious plans, the creation of such a system requires solving many technical, organizational and political problems. Pentagon officials noted that significant efforts are needed to standardize protocols, ensure cybersecurity, and ensure compatibility of equipment from various manufacturers.

The successful implementation of the military space Internet will significantly improve the efficiency of communications on the battlefield, ensure the stability of communications in conflict and cyber attacks, and improve coordination between various units and allies.

Russian electronic warfare systems are effective against Starlink

 

Installation of a Starlink by a Ukrainian soldier

The Russian electronic warfare (EW) systems Tobol and Kalinka show high efficiency in countering the terminals of the Starlink satellite communication system used by the militants of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU).

 Tobol is capable of suppressing any signal that terminals emit to satellites or vice versa. This electronic warfare system creates an electromagnetic shield through which Starlink waves do not pass.

However, the "real killer" of the satellite system is precisely Kalinka, which is capable of interrupting any signals coming and going from Starlink and detecting them at a distance of up to 15 km. Thus, this electronic warfare system disrupts communication between Ukrainian militants and interferes with the operation of enemy unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and unmanned boats (BEC).

Unlike Tobol, which largely jams satellite navigation, Kalinka has the ability to locate and target specific terminals, including those with improved security features.

Since 2022, Ukraine has received more than 50,000 Starlink terminals, of which 29,500 came from Poland.

Shield AI unveils upgraded V-BAT drone for users from the United States and Allies

Shield AI, a company specializing in the development of advanced defense technologies, has announced the launch of an upgraded version of its V-BAT unmanned aerial system. The new version of the drone provides enhanced intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities for customers from the United States and its allies.

Key improvements to V-BAT

- Heavy fuel engine: The new version of the V-BAT is powered by JP-5, the most common kerosene-based jet fuel for marine missions. This allows you to increase the flight duration to more than 13 hours in the field.

-Autonomous Vertical Takeoff and Landing (VTOL): The drone can now take off and land fully automatically without human intervention. This makes it even more flexible and user-friendly.

- Without runway usage: V-BAT still does not require runway, catapult, or network recovery solutions. This makes it ideal for use in difficult environments such as on ships or in mountainous terrain.

- Integration with Hivemind: The drone is compatible with Shield AI's proprietary autonomous Hivemind software, which provides a high level of autonomy and the ability to perform tasks in the absence of GPS and communications.

- Satellite communication beyond line of sight: The V-BAT is equipped with satellite communication technology, which allows it to be controlled over long distances.

The value of modernization

The upgraded V-BAT now offers capabilities that are normally only available for larger and more expensive drones. This makes it even more attractive to military and law enforcement agencies who are looking for cost-effective and flexible solutions for their operations.

China has launched the secret satellite TJS-16: new communication technologies and the geopolitical context

  

On Saturday, March 29, 2025, China launched a secret satellite TJS-16 from the Wenchang Cosmodrome on Hainan Island using a launch vehicle Changzheng-7A (Long March 7A). The launch took place at 12:05 p.m. Eastern time (16:05 UTC), and an hour later, the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) confirmed the success of the mission.    

Satellite TJS-16 (Tongxin Jishu Shiyan-16) is officially declared as an experimental platform for testing multiband and high-speed satellite communications. However, as with previous TJS series devices, technical details, images and exact specifications are not disclosed. Experts suggest that such missions may be related to the development of military space technologies or the strengthening of national security.   

This launch became the 16th orbital for China in 2025, continuing a series of active actions in the space sector. Earlier, on March 9, TJS-15 was launched from the Xichang cosmodrome, and in January — TJS-14, which also tested communications. Over the past 18 months, China has launched six TJS satellites, including vehicles in the highly elliptical Molniya orbit.  

The secrecy of the TJS program raises questions among international analysts. Some attribute this to the expansion of China's geostationary presence and preparations for competition in space. At the same time, Beijing is actively developing satellite constellations for civil and military needs, strengthening its position in Asia and beyond.