DOD Finalizing Digital Technical Reference Architecture for SATCOM Terminals

The Department of Defense is in the final stages of producing its first digital technical reference architecture for purchases of satellite communication terminals.

The TRA is currently undergoing an internal approval process and is anticipated to be finalized by the start of 2022.

According to Michael Dean, head of the SATCOM team for the DOD’s chief information officer, the digital nature of the TRA will allow potential vendors to easily determine if their products meet the necessary engineering requirements instead of manually going through a standard hundred-page document, Air Force Magazine reported.

In addition to easier navigation, the digital tool is being designed to gather data needed for the DOD’s rigorous certification process.

As an added bonus, the tool makes it easier for assessors to evaluate terminal designs since much of the work is already done for them, Dean said in an interview with the Air Force Magazine during the Satellite 2021 conference.

The TRA also comes with new requirements, including the need for an automated registration function for new SATCOM terminals.

Dean noted that the DOD currently looks through manually compiled spreadsheets to monitor SATCOM terminals under its management, resulting in mistakes and bad data. The lack of authoritative data on terminal availability and capabilities hinders commanders from prioritizing resources like satellite bandwidth efficiently, he said.