Boeing and Gogo test satellite-linked military drone

Boeing subsidiary Insitu and aviation Wi-Fi provider Gogo have successfully tested a military drone utilizing low-Earth-orbit (LEO) satellite communications. The test integrated a modified Gogo Galileo HDX antenna onto Insitu’s Integrator drone, connecting it to the Eutelsat OneWeb satellite network.

The system is designed to provide high-speed global internet, enabling long-range surveillance, reconnaissance, and beyond-line-of-sight strike capabilities. This development serves as a potential alternative to SpaceX’s Starlink and Starshield services, addressing concerns from some European governments and U.S. defense officials regarding over-reliance on a single provider.

A key feature of this new communication solution is that it is not subject to the U.S. International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR). This lack of ITAR restriction is intended to ease export procedures and reduce barriers for international customers seeking to purchase the technology. While the test was successful, the companies have not yet released a specific deployment timeline.