SD Government (SDG) has received US Air Force Air Mobility Command (AMC) T-1 certification for the Roll-on/Roll-off (RO/RO) Beyond Line of Sight (BLOS) Tactical Removeable Airborne Satellite Communications (TRASC) capability for C-130 aircraft. SDG is the division of Gogo which provides satellite communications to global governments.
“We are proud to deliver a platform that gives military forces much-needed situational awareness to support global command and control decisions. It also makes the C-130 much more resilient and consistently connected during training and operational missions,” Executive Vice President of SDG. Hayden Olson, said.
The T-1 certification will provide multiple satcom options, beginning with a Gogo Plane Simple Ku-band terminal, and subsequently expanding to offer a Gogo Plane Simple Ka-band terminal, and other network compatibilities to C-130 operators.
“This capability instantaneously brings all C-130 variants into the modern age of high-throughput Beyond-Line-of-Sight communications," Olson stated.
The TRASC hatch has been designed to match the outer mold line of the original Lockheed L-382 design for the C-130, making it suitable for all C-130 variants.
Electromagnetic interference/electromagnetic compatibility testing has been completed on the C-130J – Block 6 and latest Block 8 standards – and legacy C-130H, for compatibility across the AMC fleet.
The AMC T-1 Military Flight Release will pave the way for sister commands and partner nations, including Japan, Australia, New Zealand, and others to implement the Roll-on/Roll-off capability immediately.
Developed with R4 Integration (R4), the TRASC BLOS solution has integrated a Gogo Plane Simple terminal within the Multi-Purpose Hatch System (MPHS) designed and patented by R4 to replace the existing C-130 standard forward escape hatch.
C-130 variants requiring additional testing will benefit from the AMC certification, as testing timelines and expenses will be reduced.
In addition to the AMC fleet, according to SDG, the RO/RO TRASC system is ideal for Foreign Military Sales (FMS), Civilian Cargo Fleets, and international C-130 units as well as US Air Force Air Combat Command (ACC), Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC), US Marine Corps, US Navy, and the US Coast Guard.