(DID) -- Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) Milstar III satellites will support twice as many tactical networks, while providing 10-12 times the capacity and 6 times higher data rate transfer than that of the current Milstar II satellites. They will form the secure backbone of the Pentagon's intermediate term Military Satellite Communications (MILSATCOM) architecture, until the larger capacity Transformational Communications Satellite System or its equivalent enters service. Its companion Family of Advanced Beyond-line-of-sight Terminals (FAB-T) program, meanwhile, will give the US military modern capabilities and more flexibility on the receiving end.
Like a number of current US satellite development programs, the AEHF program has been cited for cost overruns and schedule slips, in part as a result of failures by the US National Security Agency to furnish key cryptography requirements and specifications in the most timely manner.
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