AUSA 2025: U.S. Army selects Kymeta’s Osprey u8 to anchor its next-gen tactical network pilot.

The U.S. Army has chosen Kymeta’s Osprey u8 SATCOM terminal for its Next Generation Command and Control pilot, advancing a major modernization push for tactical communications. The decision marks growing reliance on commercial satellite networks to harden Army data transport and enhance resilience in contested environments.

According to information gathered by Army Recognition at AUSA 2025, on October 14, Kymeta’s Osprey u8 flat panel SATCOM terminal was spotted on the show floor during recent U.S. defense exhibitions. The field-proven Ku band system, built for communications on the move, has since been chosen by the U.S. Army for its Next Generation Command and Control pilot, the service’s primary effort to modernize and harden tactical networks. That selection moves Osprey u8 from demonstration status to a central node in the Army’s evolving multi-orbit transport layer and signals growing confidence in commercial SATCOM at the tactical edge.
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Osprey u8 terminal shown at exhibition, providing on-the-move multi-orbit connectivity with GNSS-denied modes, low visual/thermal signature and field-swappable modems (Picture source: Army Recognition Group).

At the hardware level, Osprey u8 centers on a low-profile, electronically steered antenna that eliminates moving parts and keeps maintenance light in austere conditions. The single aperture design supports full duplex operation in Ku band, with receive coverage roughly 10.7 to 12.75 GHz and transmit in the 13.75 to 14.5 GHz range. The antenna electronically scans a full 360 degrees in azimuth with usable elevation, allowing vehicles to maintain lock while maneuvering. Engineers will appreciate the software-defined polarization, linear or circular as required, along with user settable power limits that simplify vehicle integration. The unit measures about 89.5 by 89.5 by 15 centimeters, weighs just under 50 kilograms, meets MIL STD 810 and MIL STD 1275, and carries an IP66 rating that stands up to dust, rain and washdowns.

Transmit performance is sized for real tactical workloads. Broadside effective isotropic radiated power can reach the high 40s in dBW when paired with a 40-watt GEO chain, while a lighter LEO chain still delivers low 40s dBW for bursty data. Typical steady state power draw is around 190 watts on GEO and near 130 watts on LEO, with 12 to 36 volt DC input that plays well across the Army’s wheeled and tracked fleets. Kymeta’s modular bay accepts field swappable modems, so signal officers can shift between government and commercial waveforms without tearing out roof kits. The metasurface beam steering keeps thermal and visual signatures low, an important consideration for low probability of intercept and detection.

Osprey u8 is designed to blend GEO, LEO and even cellular paths, giving commanders transport diversity that rides through terrain masking, foul weather and electronic attack. Auto-acquire and intuitive controls keep crews off the roof and reduce setup time at the halt. In a mobile command post or Stryker-based network extension, the terminal can prioritize latency-sensitive applications over LEO for fires, mission command applications and ISR video, then fail over to GEO or LTE as conditions change. The system’s assured position, navigation and timing features help preserve timing and basic navigation when GNSS is contested, keeping the formation’s digital fires and air-ground integration coherent.

The Army’s NGC2 pilot is an initiative that seeks a modular command and control stack that fuses transport, infrastructure, data and applications, replacing brittle stovepipes with software-defined routing and open interfaces. A fielded, multi orbit terminal like Osprey u8 matches that vision, giving program leaders a platform they can iterate quickly while maintaining competition among services and antennas. For soldiers, the promise is simpler kits, smaller signatures and a network that stays up while the formation displaces.

Russia and China are investing in jamming, cyber intrusion and space denial, while regional conflicts show how quickly legacy satellite links can be saturated or degraded. Diversifying across commercial and government constellations reduces single point risk, spreads bandwidth costs and accelerates coalition interoperability. As NGC2 scales from battalion to division and corps, the measure of success will be whether resilient transport like Osprey u8 can be fielded rapidly, at cost, and with the training and sustainment tail that lets units fight through electromagnetic pressure alongside allies.

Written by Evan Lerouvillois, Defense Analyst, Army Recognition Group.

Evan studied International Relations, and quickly specialized in defense and security. He is particularly interested in the influence of the defense sector on global geopolitics, and analyzes how technological innovations in defense, arms export contracts, and military strategies influence the international geopolitical scene.