Marion, Virginia-produced radomes enable reliable satellite communications for in-flight connectivity and entertainment
Fairfax, Va. – General Dynamics Mission Systems announced today that it has delivered the 1,000th Tri-band radome to Boeing for line-fit installation onto their commercial and military aircraft. These radomes provide physical protection of the aircraft’s antennas to enable reliable in-flight satellite communications (SATCOM) for passengers including Wi-Fi internet connectivity and live television. The Boeing Tri-band radome supports Ku and K/Ka wideband commercial and military satellite communications and is used aboard Boeing 737, 777, 787 Dreamliner and C-17 aircraft. It can accommodate a wide range of antennas and is compatible with all major connectivity service providers. General Dynamics Mission Systems has produced the Boeing Tri-band radome since 2016.
“This milestone is another example of our Marion team’s commitment to successfully designing and producing radomes for a wide range of commercial and military aircraft,” said Pat Appleman, Vice President of Airborne Composites and Structures at General Dynamics Mission Systems. “The radome’s ability to safely and economically accommodate a broad range of antennas and frequencies has enabled better in-flight entertainment and connectivity for the flying public.”
The Tri-band radome can be mounted on new or existing airplane mounting plates and supports satellite communications at all Ku-band and extended K and Ka-bands. It meets all Federal Aviation Administration environmental and safety requirements, including FAA regulations for bird strike survivability.
General Dynamics Mission Systems has developed SATCOM radomes for both fuselage and tail-mounted installation for single and multi-band function across the X, Ku, K and Ka frequency bands. In total, General Dynamics Mission Systems has produced more than 2,000 SATCOM radomes currently installed on large commercial aircraft, regional jets and business jets.
For more than 75 years, General Dynamics Mission Systems has successfully designed, produced and tested more than 65,000 radomes for more than 50 different types of military and commercial aircraft.
More information about General Dynamics Mission Systems commercial radomes is available HERE.
General Dynamics Mission Systems, a business unit of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD), provides mission-critical solutions to defense, intelligence and cyber-security customers across all domains. Headquartered in Fairfax, Virginia, General Dynamics Mission Systems employs more than 12,000 people worldwide. For more information about General Dynamics Mission Systems’ broad portfolio of capabilities, visit gdmissionsystems.com or follow @GDMS on Twitter.
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