SKYNET 6 and the Future of Defence Satellite Communications

By Dr Richard Davis

SKYNET is a family of military communications satellites which provide strategic communication services to the UK Armed Forces and our Allies, the next generation of these satellites will be delivered by the SKYNET 6 programme, the Government’s largest space initiative.

Dr Richard Davis brings his experience from his tenure as the Programme Director to share insights into the delivery and prospects of the SKYNET enterprise. He discusses the historic development of the MOD’s SATCOM capability including the current SKYNET 5 constellation and the makeup of the SKYNET 6 Programme.

Richard shares the acquisition and recruitment challenges the programme, and the wider space sector face as the war for talent is amplified with the growth of the space sector. New challenges are presented by the ever-changing commercial SATCOM market as the increasing availability of proliferated low earth orbit (pLEO) services reduce the use cases for Geostationary SATCOM services. Meanwhile, Space is ever evolving as an active operational domain, it is becoming more contested and congested as more actors and threats enter the domain. New operational concepts are being enabled through increasingly sophisticated digital technologies and connectivity.

SKYNET 6 is providing services out to the 2040s, to do so effectively it needs to be adaptable to changing market conditions and technologies whilst forming new relationships and working collaboratively with Allies and Industry.

Link to full article.