Black ICE SDR Platform Released

The Black ICE Software Defined Radio platform by Viasat enables the integration of COTS and custom waveforms for low SWaP, secure BVLOS data transmission for mission-critical operations By Sarah Simpson / 15 Aug 2023

Software Defined Radio SDR

Discover cutting-edge solutions from leading global suppliers
SUPPLIER SPOTLIGHT
Black ICE SDR Platform Released
Follow DA

Viasat Inc. has announced the launch of the Black ICE Software Defined Radio (SDR) family of modem solutions designed to enable the integration of commercial off-the-shelf and custom waveforms, allowing secure data transmission for mission-critical operations.

The Black ICE SDR product line enables a host of new innovative capabilities via the proven and reliable ELERA L-band and Global Xpress Ka-band networks, augmenting U.S. Government resources for land, sea and air communications worldwide.

With the increasing use of uncrewed Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) operations, combatant commands require a reliable, flexible, secure, low size, weight and power (SWaP) solution that provides consistent communications coverage to support their missions.

Black ICE SDRs are designed to meet high-demand requirements of military users by offering security, flexibility, low form factor and high-performance terminals. The solutions support Xilinx and Intel Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) architectures in both L-band and Ka-band, as well as OpenAMIP for antenna management. Additionally, it enables a reduction in SWaP for L-band LAISR user terminals, further supporting customers’ beyond line of sight (BLOS) communications requirements for open architecture, security, low form factor terminals and high performance.

Leveraging the resilient, secure, and easy-to-use ELERA L-band network, Black ICE SDR allows for flexible waveform integration and provides low SWaP solutions that meet challenging user terminal form factor and performance requirements for BLOS communications on crewed and uncrewed platforms, as well as expeditionary Command and Control (C2) operations.

For Ka-band customers, Black ICE can be integrated into standard Global Xpress Ka-band terminals via G-MODMAN II and Open Platform (OP) modem manager technology to enable the addition of a special waveform service. Through the special waveform service, U.S. Government Global Xpress customers will be able to access alternative waveforms to satisfy specific high-demanding mission requirements, such as high data rate and resiliency necessary in congested and contested environments.

Matt Wissler, Chief Technology Officer at Viasat Government Systems, said, “With the increasing use of beyond line-of-sight communications as part of ISR and C2 missions, U.S. Government customers require a high-performance solution that maximizes platform range and reduces signatures for land, sea and air. The Black ICE SDR platform provides customers with solutions that enable flexible waveform integration and allow them to securely transmit large volumes of data while meeting the SWaP requirements of these platforms.

“We are excited to offer our Black ICE family of modem solutions to our U.S. Government customers. This innovative capability enhances our current service offerings and enables us to prepare new mission-specific solutions that will leverage the capabilities of our next-generation satellites while delivering additional value to the end user,” Wissler added.

More complex waveforms and enhancements are in development and will enter commercial service later in 2023 to offer new features and provide customers more flexibility in addressing evolving mission requirements. Additionally, Black ICE will enable the addition of future enhanced special waveform features so that the service can utilize the capabilities of Viasat’s next-generation satellites.

Find suppliers & manufacturers of Beyond Line of Sight Tactical Radio & C2 Solutions >>

Posted by Sarah Simpson Edited by Sarah Simpson, Content Manager with a passion for research and creating digital copy with a focus on new technology. Connect & Contact

Latest Articles

Practical Methods for Balancing UAV Propellers Safely & Effectively

Tyto Robotics discusses the ways to add and remove materials from drone propellers, considering advantages and disadvantages of various products and techniques

Jul 11, 2025
Military-Grade Tethered Drone Systems for Surveillance & Security Missions

DPI UAV Systems (Dragonfly Pictures) is a developer of advanced tethered drone systems for military, government and security applications. As...

Jul 11, 2025
Modular Chassis Design Enhances Deployment Flexibility for Defense Systems

LCR Embedded Systems explains how modular chassis design supports rapid deployment and cost-effective packaging for rugged embedded systems using open standards like VPX and SOSA

Jul 10, 2025
MilDef to Supply Rugged IT Equipment for Norway’s Defense Digitization

MilDef has secured a major contract with Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace to supply rugged IT equipment supporting Norway’s defense digitization efforts

Jul 10, 2025
Tethered Drone Technologies for Mission-Critical Defense & Security Applications

Defense Advancement showcases Elistair's tethered drone solutions for mission-critical defense and security applications

Jul 10, 2025
New Oscilloquartz Optical Cesium Clocks Enhance Network Timing Precision

Adtran is expanding its Oscilloquartz portfolio with the new OSA 3200 SP and OSA 3250 ePRC optical cesium models, providing improved holdover and simplified maintenance for telecom, data center, utility, and defense networks

Jul 09, 2025

Featured Content

New Oscilloquartz Optical Cesium Clocks Enhance Network Timing Precision

Adtran is expanding its Oscilloquartz portfolio with the new OSA 3200 SP and OSA 3250 ePRC optical cesium models, providing improved holdover and simplified maintenance for telecom, data center, utility, and defense networks

Jul 09, 2025
Teledyne FLIR OEM Whitepaper: Synthetic Data Generation for AI Object Detection

Read Teledyne FLIR OEM’s whitepaper on AIMMGen™, a defense-oriented synthetic data and AI model generation pipeline tailored to Automatic Target Recognition (ATR) and object classification tasks

Jul 03, 2025
Galvion’s Production Hub in Poland Now Open & Operational

Galvion's new Production Hub in Poland has formally opened through a large ceremony held at the Gdansk facility with factory tours, demonstrations, and live models of helmets

Jun 30, 2025
Advancing Defense Capability Through Strategic Collaboration Defense Advancement works with major OEMs to foster collaboration and increase engagement with SMEs, to accelerate innovation and drive defense capabilities forward.