AST SpaceMobile Demonstrates Tactical NTN Connectivity for U.S. Defense
AST SpaceMobile, in partnership with Fairwinds Technologies, has announced the world’s first successful demonstration of tactical Non-Terrestrial Network (NTN) connectivity delivering broadband data, voice, and video directly to standard, unmodified mobile devices — a major milestone in space-based mobile communications.
The test, conducted near AST SpaceMobile’s gateway in Oahu, Hawaii, involved participation from U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM) and various branches of the U.S. military, including the Navy, Army, Marine Corps, and U.S. Space Command, as well as OUSD R&E’s FutureG team.
Key NTN/Tactical Milestones:
Direct-to-smartphone satellite communication with no specialized equipment required.
Support for defense apps like Tactical Assault Kit (TAK) over VPN, multimedia streaming, and secure multi-party video calls.
Focused on enabling resilient, secure, real-time communications in austere and denied environments.
This effort is part of the Defense Innovation Unit’s Hybrid Space Architecture 2 initiative, which aims to validate the feasibility of direct-to-device space-based comms as a tactical layer for military operations. It highlights the potential for multi-domain, mobile broadband in critical defense scenarios — from disaster zones to contested or remote theaters.
AST’s network is the first and only space-based cellular broadband system designed to connect directly to unmodified smartphones, providing a groundbreaking layer of capability for both commercial and defense NTN use cases.
Further testing, including open ocean trials, is planned as part of this continuing prototype effort.