Lockheed Martin has teamed up with Viasat to equip advanced satellite communications capability on C-130J Hercules military airlifters in support of the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Hurricane Hunter program.
The Hurricane Hunter supports the federal agency’s capability to collect data on extreme weather conditions by flying a specialized reconnaissance plane directly into atmospheric disturbances, generating live information for forecasting and predictions.
Viasat’s work for the initiative centers on its proprietary Hybrid SATCOM Approach (HSA) technology, which enables seamless switching between different frequencies without a major hardware overhaul.
The solution is built with a modular architecture to support future upgrades, maintaining high-bandwidth connectivity aboard the Lockheed-built C-130J as mission profiles and satellite networks evolve.
Viasat noted that integration will be applied to two Hercules platforms currently on order for NOAA, with options to equip additional aircraft in the future.
Once commissioned, the new fleet will replace the agency’s legacy Hurricane Hunters, including the WP-3D Orions also developed by Lockheed, starting in 2030.
“The selection of Viasat by Lockheed Martin for the NOAA C-130J program is a strong validation of our open-architecture approach to resilient airborne communications,” said Victor Farah, senior vice president of government services and solutions at Viasat.
“By enabling a standardized, ARINC compliant integration, this program not only supports NOAA’s lifesaving weather research mission today but also helps futureproof the aircraft for evolving connectivity and aircraft mission communications requirements.”
