Gilad Landsberg, President, Gilat Defense writes how the evolution of satellite communications have followed a shifting security landscape
NATO’s commitment to increase collective defence spending, rising from today’s 2% of GDP to 5% by 2035, signals more than a fiscal policy shift. It reflects a strategic reassessment of how allied nations prepare for and respond to increasingly complex security threats. As NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte described it, this is a “quantum leap” in collective defence capabilities, one that will reshape priorities across readiness, cybersecurity, innovation, and infrastructure resilience.
Modern military operations have become significantly more complex, driven by the need to coordinate dispersed forces, manage unprecedented volumes of data, and operate across extended geographic distances while facing increasingly sophisticated threats. These challenges are reshaping communications requirements across defence networks. Tactical radio and terrestrial links remain essential for short-range and local coordination, but they are no longer sufficient on their own.
Advances in satellite communications, which once faced limitations in cost, coverage, and size, weight and power (SWaP), now make SATCOM a stronger and more accessible complement to traditional solutions. The ability to extend reach, support mobility, and maintain continuity when other links are compromised has become critical to ensuring mission success.
A shift toward flexibility and resilience
Military satellite communications were once dominated by GEO systems, which provided broad coverage but came with inherent latency and limited flexibility. The emergence of non-geostationary orbit (NGSO) constellations, particularly in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and Medium Earth Orbit (MEO), has introduced new advantages to the modern battlefield, including lower latency, greater redundancy, and dynamic bandwidth allocation. One key result is true multi-orbit agility, where GEO, MEO, and LEO networks can work together to meet mission needs, geographic conditions, and threat environments in real time.
This is not a future vision; it is already happening. New constellations are expanding SATCOM capabilities, while advances in ground infrastructure, intelligent network management, and multi-orbit terminals make it easier than ever for users to harness them. Gilat recently announced orders totalling over $22 million from tier-one satellite operators, underscoring the growing demand for advanced multi-orbit connectivity.
These orders reflect confidence in Gilat’s ability to deliver field-proven, scalable infrastructure capable of supporting a wide range of applications with the performance and agility required for next-generation satellite networks. As defence and government agencies adopt multi-orbit strategies to ensure resilient, mission-ready communications, the technologies enabling these networks are proving equally critical across both defence and commercial sectors.
Mission-ready technology for modern operations
Defence operations today are more fluid, complex, and data-driven than ever before. Forces must act on real-time intelligence, coordinate across multiple domains, and operate in regions where traditional infrastructure including terrestrial and tactical radio systems may be limited or disrupted. These systems remain critical, but recent advances in SATCOM make it a stronger complementary solution than ever, filling critical gaps and ensuring resilient connectivity where other systems cannot.
Baseline connectivity alone is not enough. Networks must support real-time orbital handovers, withstand electronic warfare, and deliver secure, high-throughput performance in hostile or disconnected environments. This has driven rapid innovation in ground technologies, including compact mobile terminals, intelligent waveform and link management, and embedded security features such as anti-jam techniques and encryption.
Interoperability and scalability in a multi-orbit world
As militaries prioritise joint operations, interoperability has shifted from aspiration to necessity. Communications systems must work seamlessly across domains, national boundaries, and generations of technology, bridging legacy platforms with new architectures while adapting in real time to operational needs.
Hybrid networks spanning multiple constellations demand ground systems that can manage diverse link conditions, dynamically allocate bandwidth, and maintain uninterrupted service. True interoperability also depends on adherence to open standards, flexible APIs, and compatibility with allied networks, avoiding costly integration delays.
Scalability is equally critical. From small humanitarian missions to multinational combat operations, connectivity infrastructure must expand efficiently and securely. That requires modular hardware, software-defined flexibility, and architectures capable of scaling performance without compromising readiness.
Conclusion
As the global threat landscape becomes more dynamic and technology-dependent, satellite connectivity has moved to the core of defense strategy. Multi-orbit flexibility, resilient networks, and interoperable systems are no longer future goals; they are operational imperatives.
Gilat Defense is committed to providing the connectivity solutions needed to keep defence organisations mission-ready, wherever operations take them. In a world where success depends on real-time coordination and information superiority, secure and adaptable communications are no longer optional; they are essential.
Gilad Landsberg is President of Gilat Defense, the division of Gilat Satellite Networks focused on delivering advanced SATCOM solutions for defence and military customers.
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