Kratos’ Frank Backes Talks Modernization of Air Force’s Enterprise Satcom Infrastructure

Frank Backes, senior vice president for federal satellite solutions at Kratos Defense and Security Solutions, has said the company is integrating an open software approach to the U.S. Air Force’s Enterprise Management and Control infrastructure.

Backes said in an interview with Milsat Magazine that Kratos has completed the initial development and demonstration activities under the multi-phase EM&C effort, which seeks to establish an enterprise-wide, open-architecture satellite communications network that will help the Department of Defense respond to interference, congestion and other mission operations.

According to Backes, Kratos is working to virtualize and automate the infrastructure’s ground segment, which is currently comprised of legacy radio frequency hardware and supported by the company’s global RF network.

“The DoD will gain a fully integrated enterprise environment that can respond to threats with agility and flexibility, without needing to replace the majority of their existing infrastructure,” he said.

“We’ve expanded on that network and those sensors and systems to look at how the entire RF domain is used by the U.S. and our adversaries. That spectral awareness can tell you a lot, from seeing satellites as they maneuver, to determining their capabilities and intent, to geolocating jamming and interference.”