The new contract, worth as much as $69 million, covers hardware, airtime, and global support for USCG small cutters
KVH Industries, was selected by the U.S. Coast Guard to supply the next-generation satellite communications solution for its small cutter fleet of more than 140 vessels/platforms. Chosen following a full and open competitive procurement process, KVH’s TracPhone® V7-HTS Ku-band satellite communications system and mini-VSAT Broadbandsm service will be the U.S. Coast Guard’s Small Cutter Connectivity Ku-band System and Airtime Support Services solution. The USCG also anticipates that approximately 20 new cutters will join the small cutter fleet over the next five years, requiring the same level of support that KVH will provide to the already deployed vessels.
“We are honored to have delivered critical satellite communications technology, service, and support to the dedicated professionals of the U.S. Coast Guard for 12 years,” stated Brent Bruun, President and CEO of KVH. “And we are very proud to have been selected to continue to service them with this new award. Our TracPhone V7-HTS provides reliable, secure connectivity and coverage and will serve as a vital tool in the Coast Guard’s mission to ensure the safety and security of U.S. ports and waterways.”
The rugged, commercial-grade TracPhoneV7-HTS is a 60 cm (24 in) VSAT-only system with speeds as fast as 10/3 Mbps (down/up), already deployed on the small cutters as part of the original contract. It promotes uninterrupted communications through automatic fast switching among high-speed network beams, through KVH’s multi-layered, high-throughput satellite (HTS) network, powered by Intelsat. The 3-axis gyro-stabilized antenna includes a 4th axis of automatic skew adjustment, ideal for rough seas and fast speeds. KVH’s hardware and services will continue to be used for remote connectivity to the Coast Guard’s data network, CGOne, for mission essential applications.
