Press Release

Issued by Thales.

February 10, 2014

Introducing its highly-regarded AVIATOR portfolio of airborne systems at the Singapore Airshow for the first time, leading satellite communications supplier Cobham SATCOM is highlighting the specific capabilities of the ground-breaking new AVIATOR S series.

Cobham recently expanded its range of satellite communication systems with the announcement of the new S series family of products, adding to the well-established line ranging from the AVIATOR 200 to the AVIATOR 700D.

Designed for future data-connected air transport aircraft ranging from regional turboprops to large jets, the new terminal and antenna product family reflects Cobham's commitment to the 'connected aircraft'. The AVIATOR S series will support a wide range of communication applications in both the cockpit and cabin, including cockpit voice dialling, in-flight calling and internet browsing.

The development of the new family of products is being driven by specifications formulated by the Air Transport Air-to-Ground-Communications working group, along with anticipated requirements for safety services and network domain separation for air traffic control. The versatile S series will allow secure data communication for aircraft operation, maintenance and management services, as Cobham prepares for the technology shift to Internet Protocol (IP) data-connected aircraft in the future.

The first system to be made available will be the AVIATOR 200S – a unique, compact two LRU (Line Replacement Unit) satellite communication system which will exploit the unique features of the Inmarsat SwiftBroadband packet data communication system.
Walther Thygesen, vice president of Cobham SATCOM, said: “Cobham's AVIATOR S series will significantly benefit aircraft operations by offering an extremely compact LRU and antenna configuration for safety services over SwiftBroadband, designed to the latest specifications for data segregation on the flight deck.”

Cobham is working closely with Inmarsat to bring the new generation of airborne satellite communication to the market in the near future following final safety services approval of SwiftBroadband.

The AVIATOR S series forms part of Cobham SATCOM's comprehensive range of advanced AVIATOR satcom systems which provide simultaneous quality voice and high-speed data communications for cockpit and cabin for air transport, business jets and even unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The AVIATOR SwiftBroadband systems are easy to install and provide connectivity for applications including email, internet browsing, voice calls, data transmission, ISDN, smartphone connectivity and streaming video.

Allowing comprehensive and flexible installation options, Cobham also offers a range of high, intermediate and low gain Inmarsat satcom aeronautical antennas to support Inmarsat SwiftBroadband, Swift 64 and classic Aero I/M services.