Mission Microwave Technologies, LLC and Envistacom have confirmed the initial orders of a major satellite ground terminal upgrade program for a U.S. Government customer.

Envistacom teamed with Mission Microwave to create an opportunity for their customer to replace legacy traveling wave tube amplifiers (TWTA) based block up converters (BUCs) with state-of-the-art Solid State BUCs based on Gallium Nitride (GaN) semiconductor technology. The initial upgrade platforms include 200 tactical terminals in support of the U.S. Army’s Project Manager Mission Network.

Mission Microwave is providing Envistacom with 200 Watt Ku Band and 50 Watt Ka band BUCs to replace legacy TWTA based up-converters. Mission Microwave’s competency in designing compact and highly efficient amplifiers has enabled Envistacom to offer their customer an upgrade path that will extend the life and utility of this Tactical SATCOM terminal fleet of over 600 terminals. If taken to completion, the upgrade program could result in orders of roughly $44 million for Mission Microwave.

“The end-users of our products rely on proven SATCOM system providers like Envistacom to bring the benefits of solid state designs to the tactical edge. We worked with Envistacom’s engineering team to navigate the complexities of the upgrade and certification process for these terminals. Envistacom’s reputation and knowledge of the tactical customers’ expectations has made it possible for Mission Microwave to bring these benefits to critical field operators. We expect the trend of replacing high power TWTA’s with Solid State Power Amplifiers to be a significant market for the foreseeable future. Envistacom has been a critical partner in bringing this to market,” said Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Mission Microwave, Steve Richeson.

“Our tactical customers demand the reliability, performance and lower total cost of ownership associated with solid state amplifiers. Mission Microwave’s innovative application of GaN technology has enabled the use of solid state BUCs at power levels that were previously not practical. We are very excited to be able to provide an innovative roadmap for our customer using Mission’s products,” said Russ Coolman, product manager at Envistacom.