• • • DEFENCE SKILLS • • •
defence communications grows, so does the need to defend satellites. Space doctrines now explicitly include satellite protection from physical attack, cyber threats and electronic warfare. National defence policies emphasise space asset protection, active defence measures and strategic autonomy. Technology keeps evolving with onboard intelligence. Future satellites will use AI to process data on- orbit, thus reducing dependency on ground stations and allowing for rapid, autonomous responses to threats. For some space forces, specialised satellites already monitor, track and identify adversarial satellites, ensuring the safety of allied assets. While not typically offensive, defensive systems now include manoeuvring capabilities to avoid debris, kinetic weapons and hostile grabbing or dazzling. Satellite connectivity technology is reshaping defence communications to enable high-speed bandwidth and asset survivability within space as a warfighting domain.
anything from drones to social networks. The tech stack integrates new defence communications processes from quantum encryption to direct-to-mobile connectivity. The U.S. Protected Tactical Waveform (PTW) is currently being deployed via the Protected Tactical Enterprise Service (PTES) program on Wideband Global SATCOM (WGS) satellites to provide secure, jam-resistant and high-data-rate communications in contested environments.
High-frequency RF and mmWave: critical to secure, resilient defence
communications As modern warfare pivots towards digitised, data-intensive and contested environments, traditional radio systems are being replaced by advanced hardware technologies that make resilient, secure and high-capacity communications possible. As microwave bands become congested, the defence sector is moving towards higher frequency mmWave bands for higher bandwidth and more secure communications.
Expertise in these frequencies is critical for creating secure communication links. Material and components make a significant difference: Gallium Nitride (GaN) technology enables high power enabling links at higher mmWave frequencies that were not previously viable because such transmissions are highly directional, focused mmWave beams are difficult to intercept or jam, ensuring secure communication on the battlefield within intense electronic warfare environments.
The future of defence communications
Satellite technology is transforming defence communications from a subordinated support role to a strategic battlefield capability. The future belongs to multi-orbit networks, secure links, integration with combat forces and commercial partnerships. Militaries are building resilient and agile communications infrastructures that will be central to future conflicts on Earth as in space. Operationalising commercial sector dual technologies, from situational awareness and intelligent data processing, to advanced high-bandwidth mmWave and optical links, will be key to ensuring connectivity within a congested and contested space as a warfighting domain. Moving away from a few expensive satellites in Geostationary Orbit (GEO) toward proliferated Low Earth Orbit (LEO) constellations, thousands of small satellites make it more difficult for adversaries to disrupt communications. Where there is no single point of failure, this works as so- called “deterrence by denial.” Because LEO satellites provide much lower latency compared to GEO, they are critical for real-time, high-speed data transmission required in modern battlefield operations. Future networks will combine LEO for speed, Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) for coverage, and GEO for consistent, wide-area surveillance. They will further account for multiple, intelligently managed terrestrial data feeds, adding to the space data mix
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Building a sovereign European space capability
In the current geopolitical context, as emphasised at the recent 2026 Munich Security Conference, it is time for Europe to implement strategic autonomy by building a sovereign European defence capability, starting with independent mastery of the space domain. Regarding dual use civilian and defence space capabilities, Europe must strengthen its industrial base with secure supply chains, to reduce dependence on foreign supply chains.
The need for Europe to secure critical communications increases the demand for European solutions, demanding volume manufacture of space-grade components. Without power to design, manufacture, sustain and evolve critical systems independently, Europe remains subjected to systemic vulnerabilities. With geopolitics, tariffs and national priorities, when highly specialised components are produced by only a small number of suppliers worldwide, defence programmes are at a higher risk of disruptions, even from allies. RF and mmWave technologies, often classified as dual-use or sensitive, are particularly exposed to such disruption.
Filtronic’s role in next-generation
space defence With nearly five decades of sovereign engineering heritage, UK-based Filtronic is at the forefront of this high-frequency RF and mmWave shift,
providing critical connectivity solutions that enable secure, very high-bandwidth satellite communications across the space and defence sectors. Having recently secured a record-breaking £47.3 million contract with SpaceX to supply high-performance E-Band power amplifiers for Starlink ground stations, Filtronic has cemented its position as a key enabler of next-generation, LEO communication networks. Filtronic’s technology enables high-capacity data transmission, crucial for video, high resolution sensor data and battlefield communications. The company also designs modules that enable data transmission between satellites, allowing LEO constellations to operate as a mesh network in space, which helps create secure, resilient and ubiquitous global internet connectivity that does not rely on vulnerable ground or undersea-based infrastructure. Filtronic is working with the European Space Agency under the ARTES programme to develop high-capacity K/Ka and Q /V-band satellite modules to bolster European space sovereignty. Filtronic is investing in automation and secure facilities to ensure reliable high-volume production of complex RF modules, ensuring that the UK and its allies have access to cutting edge, secure, locally produced components. The company was selected in December 2025 by a major European defence prime for the next phase of a long- standing electronic sensor programme expected to bring revenue of £11 million.
The programme will be delivered from Filtronic’s new secure and automated microelectronics facility in Sedgefield, purpose-built to support high-volume production of complex RF modules for space, aerospace, defence and telecommunications markets. A market leader in GaN technology, the company plays a strategic role in future defence communications networks. Beyond satellite connectivity, Filtronic’s technology can enable various defence applications: Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) Radars, by providing Transmit and Receive Modules (TRMs); Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), by enabling drone swarms and high-bandwidth datalinks; Electronic Countermeasures (ECM), by developing technologies that allow forces to disrupt enemy communications while protecting their own; Positioning, Navigation and Timing (PNT) systems, and Electronic Deception.
Bearing the strategic imperative of European sovereign capability, Filtronic’s role fits squarely within space as a warfighting domain, across all factors that directly impact defence capabilities and battlefield effectiveness. Through continuous investment in R&D and strategic partnerships with industry giants, Filtronic is shaping the future of defence, ensuring that satellite communications remain secure, instantaneous and resilient. As space becomes more contested, defence communications will depend on resilient, distributed networks and security built in from the outset. The ability to maintain trusted, high-speed connectivity across domains, even in degraded environments, will increasingly define both battlefield effectiveness and long-term strategic stability.
https://filtronic.com ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING • MARCH 2026 35
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