MUOS Revival With Satellites 6 & 7 on the Horizon

Five Mobile User Objective System (MUOS) satellites are now orbiting Earth, a testament to overcoming early setbacks, aggressive schedules, and technical hurdles. These Navy-delivered satellites, launched between 2012 and 2016, have revolutionized military communications, boosting narrowband UHF capacity by a staggering 1,300% compared to the former UHF Follow-On system.

The first MUOS satellite (originally scheduled to launch in July 2011) lifted off in February 2012 and entered service later that year. MUOS-2 followed in July 2013. A welding issue with the third satellite caused further delays, but it finally launched on January 20, 2015. The fourth satellite launched in September 2015, followed by the fifth satellite in June 2016. MUOS-5 utilized its station-keeping propulsion system to reach orbit in November 2016 after problems with its main propulsion system caused it to fail. The firing of smaller thrusters brought the satellite to its intended GEO orbit.

At one point, the service was looking for allies to finance the cost of a sixth satellite through agreements similar to those the U.S. Air Force signed to share its Wideband Global Satcom (WGS) constellation. The MUOS system looked to be nearing its end; however, this is not the case.

With the transfer of the program to the Space Force in the FY22 budget request, there appeared to be renewed interest in MUOS. The MUOS SLE (Service Life Extension) portion of the budget request outlines plans to procure two more satellites (6 and 7). These two satellites will either be produced by Boeing or Lockheed, which both received $66 million for early design work, for launch no sooner than 2030. Lockheed Martin is partnering with SEAKR Engineering to develop a reprogrammable payload processor and Boeing leveraging its existing 702MP satellite platform.

There is international demand for the capabilities provided by MUOS. Last fall, Canada signed a $126.2 million Operations & Sustainment deal that will provide the Canadian Forces with six years of access to MUOS. Ottawa is the first Five Eyes nation to tap into the system, and U.S. officials have said they wish to "expand interoperability to other international partners."

The MUOS program faces criticism; however, as commercial satellite communication alternatives, like those being developed by Starlink and others, emerge, potentially offering more cost-effective solutions for military communications.