The satellite communications company Kymeta displayed for the first time its Goshawk u8 terminal at the Satellite expo in mid-March in Washington, DC. Zona Militar spoke with Matt Sieber, Director of DoD Programs and Requirements, about why the Goshaw u8 will be of interest to defense customers around the world.
The Goshawk u8 delivers flexible, multi-orbit, multi-network satellite communications (SATCOM) in a single terminal, combining Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and Geostationary Orbit (GEO) satellite technologies. Kymeta told ZM that the Goshawk was launched in October 2024. “As sovereign nations look to prioritize greater control over critical SATCOM infrastructure to stay ahead of emerging threats,” the company explained “the Goshawk u8, which has been created for global, allied ministries of defense and armed forces, will ensure defense and government users retain secure, resilient, and rapidly deployable communications on the move.”
“Several units have been shipped to key partners to do beta trials,” the executives confirmed, noting that “we expect general availability from Eutelsat [a French satellite operator] any day now.” Kymeta confirmed to ZM that it is already accepting orders for the Goshawk.
Kymeta is confident that global ministries of defense and armed services will be interested in the Goshawk. “The launch of Goshawk is very timely and meets the requirements of European MODs in their quest for greater sovereign security over their critical SATCOM infrastructure. The Goshawk u8 provides them with multi-orbit, multi-network resilience, giving flexibility to outmaneuver evolving threats at pace,” the Kymeta executive told ZM.
The terminal was designed to support data-centric, cloud-enabled operations. The Goshawk u8 is easy to install and is a fully customizable, compact, and lightweight solution that integrates across vehicles and vessels. The antenna provides jamming mitigation for Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS)-denied operations, integrating with existing networks. It supports high-bandwidth applications, enabling global defense units to access video streaming, data transmission, and voice communication with minimal interruptions, even in remote or mobile scenarios. The company believes the terminal will “allow for improved responsiveness to enable maneuver warfare tactics, such as rapid, focused, and unexpected actions that can shatter an enemy’s cohesion.”
The Goshawk u8 is an electronically steered antenna (ESA) and operates in the Ku-band: the receive bands (RX) range from 10.70GHz to 12.75GHz, while the transmit band (TX) ranges from 13.75GHz to 14.50GHz. The basic system has a weight of 34 kg, and the dimensions are 89.5 cm in length, 89.5 cm in width, and 14 cm in height. The terminal comes with an intuitive user dashboard for Kymeta user terminals. Available accessories include maritime and stationary mounts so that the system can be installed on light and tactical vehicles and vessels. Kymeta has partnered with Seaview Global to provide maritime mounting solutions.
One way to look at the Goshawk u8 terminal is that it is the international version of Kymeta’s Osprey u8 terminal. Sieber explained that the Osprey was specifically designed for the US Department of Defense and US armed services. “In my role, I have seen the US DOD’s and military’s list of requirements for SATCOM, they want path diversity and resilience,” adding, “they want more than one path to send their data in case one is shut down to jamming or a cyber attack.” As the situation in Europe becomes more complex, “the requirement from NATO governments and MODs is the same – and Kymeta’s Goshawk u8 meets that critical need and beyond. The ability to plug in a GEO modem into the Goshawk u8, making it multi-orbit on the country’s sovereign network, enables greater inter-operability and resilience.”
Kymeta explained to ZM that the Osprey, released in late 2023, has already been tested on land vehicles. “We did tests at the US Army’s Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Cyber, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C5ISR) Center.” Moreover, the US Army and Marines have installed Osprey terminals on ultra-light tactical vehicles like the Polaris MRZR, also Stryker armored fighting vehicle, joint light tactical vehicles, and High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV).
Looking forward, Kymeta is monitoring the future of uncrewed military systems. “We are working on several opportunities for uncrewed ground vehicles (UGVs), too; that is the future,” Kymeta told ZM. “As global forces want to link larger numbers of drones, UGVs, and uncrewed surface vessels, we have the bandwidth to manage that data. We can be the hub,” the company said confidently. Even more, “depending on the size of the uncrewed system, our terminals or antennas can be installed on it.”
