Jay Clemens
Rebecca Cowen-Hirsch, a senior vice president at Inmarsat, has pitched the idea of a satellite communications-as-a-service model as key to help the Defense Department achieve an integrated architecture for military satellite communications.
Cowen-Hirsch wrote in an guest piece for MilSat Magazine that military officials face budget challenges due to spending limits as they work to recapitalize space assets amid emerging threats.
“Military decision-makers are increasingly viewing the expansion of use and the intentional integration of commercial satellite communications as they move forward,” she said.
The move works to implement an integrated satcom architecture and strategy that combines milsatcom and comsatcom to help address military operational requirements, according to Cowen-Hirsch.
She explained that satcom-as-a-service serves to enable military users to employ comsatcom for core functions and integrate with milsatcom to address service gaps and build on resiliency.
“This frees military members from the administration of disparate networks and allows them to focus on critical defense operations,” Cowen-Hirsch wrote.
Cowen-Hirsch also believes satcom-as-a-service could help to change how the government uses and acquires satellite communications.
