The Return of Global MilSatCom

November 1, 2021

After being forced to go virtual in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, SMi Group's 23rd annual Global MilSatCom Conference & Exhibition returns to being an in-person event on November 2-4, 2021, in London, UK. Hailed as one of the most important gatherings in the world for the military SATCOM community, Global MilSatCom 2021 will officially kick off on November 1 with a special Disruptive Technology Focus Day.

According to event organizers, The SMi Group, the MILSATCOM community finds itself at an inflection point: superiority and safety in the space domain has mostly been a given for NATO-allied militaries; technology to enhance interoperability has, overall, been underemphasized and underdeveloped; and a commander’s operational SATCOM capabilities have rarely been impeded by hostile actions. Nowadays, however, a radically different picture has emerged. The space domain is becoming very competitive as near-peer adversaries challenge the status quo. It is also becoming increasingly apparent through the re-emergence of near-peer threats that every segment of a SATCOM system must be more interoperable to enable better communications in coalition. Finally, both near-peer and irregular adversaries are frequently demonstrating their ability to impede effective communications on the battlefield.

Global MilSatCom 2021 aims to respond to these challenges in a number of ways. First, there will be briefings from senior officials representing the world’s leading militaries and solution providers. There will also be detailed discussions on key issues such as international SATCOM architectural convergence and flexibility of ground terminals. Attendance will come from every significant MILSATCOM program, new technology will be on display in the exhibition halls, and an entire day will be dedicated to exploring the topic of disruptive technology in space.

Day 1 will begin by focusing on the UK’s SKYNET program and will continue with updates and briefings from key European allies. Day 2 will be centered on innovation and change within the US space enterprise with considerable focus on the Integrated SATCOM Enterprise vision, JADC2, and partnerships with industry and international allies. Finally, day 3 will center around key international partner updates, providing further opportunities for partnerships and situational awareness of global MILSATCOM efforts.

This year’s Global MilSatCom conference offers both online and in-person registration options.

For more information about Global MilSatCom, visit www.smi-online.co.uk/defence/uk/conference/global-milsatcom .