Viasat to provide advanced network orchestration for Defense Innovation Unit’s Autonomous Systems
by Clarence Oxford
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Dec 20, 2024
Viasat, Inc. (NASDAQ: VSAT), a leading global provider of satellite communications, has been chosen by the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) to supply resilient networking solutions for the Replicator initiative. This program is focused on delivering autonomous systems designed to support warfighter operations with advanced command and control (C2) capabilities. The initiative is a key part of the U.S. Department of Defense’s strategy to accelerate innovative technologies at scale.
As part of the DIU Opportunistic, Resilient and Innovative Expeditionary Network Topology (ORIENT) project, Viasat will deploy its Multi-Domain Uncrewed Secure Integrated Communications (MUSIC) architecture. The system leverages Viasat’s NetAgility software-defined networking (SDN) technology, which ensures secure and seamless communication across autonomous systems through optimized multi-transport pathways. The MUSIC architecture facilitates efficient information sharing and resilient C2 operations, enabling autonomous systems to operate collaboratively even in contested environments.
“Viasat is excited to support the Defense Innovation Unit and the Replicator initiative through project ORIENT by helping advance resilience and enable collaboration across multiple autonomous systems for warfighter operations,” said David Schmolke, Vice President of Viasat Mission Connections and Cybersecurity. “The coordinated use of autonomous systems offers critical operational advantages as the demands to quickly collect and share mission data grow, including executing those missions safely without putting warfighters in harm’s way. MUSIC and NetAgility network orchestration is an optimal fit for addressing the network and advanced C2 requirements to enable resilient, multi-path communications through contested and denied environments.”
Over the past 18 months, Viasat has refined the MUSIC solution in collaboration with the Office of Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (OUSD R&E) through the Technology Readiness and Experimentation (T-REX) initiative. A significant milestone was achieved in October when the MUSIC platform demonstrated its capability to connect autonomous maritime systems during the Autonomous Warrior 24 exercise in Australia, underscoring its value in the AUKUS partnership among the United States, Australia, and the United Kingdom.
For more information about Viasat’s NetAgility and intelligent network solutions, visit the company’s website.
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