Harris Corporation and Tampa Microwave™ have jointly developed a tri-band satellite communications antenna that offers the highest level of performance available today in a single-case unit small enough to be checked as airline baggage.

An antenna will be on display in Harris Booth during MILCOM 2012, being held October 29–November 1 at the Gaylord Palms Hotel and Convention Center in Orlando, Florida.

The 1.3-meter Seeker™ is a very small aperture terminal (VSAT) that supports X-, Ku-, and Ka-band communications and is designed for use in rugged, tactical environments supporting military operations and other quick-react missions. A center-fed antenna enables simple frequency and feed swap, and offers superior wind stability and satellite tracking performance. It offers low power consumption and operates quietly without fans.

In addition to its high gain and extreme portability, Seeker can be set up or torn down by a single person without tools in less than 10 minutes. It leverages the Tampa Microwave RF electronics and modem units used on the .45-meter and .65-meter manpack products, providing increased commonality across a full range of terminal sizes.

Seeker shares common components, training, operation and maintenance with other Harris terminals, resulting in lower cost of ownership for customers. The system incorporates an interchangeable, receiver/transmitter and outdoor modem module from Tampa Microwave, as well as a common Human Machine Interface with Auto-Assist pointing. Seeker also can be bundled with satellite bandwidth and associated services provided by Harris CapRock Communications, to provide a complete, end-to-end satellite communications capability.

“A robust 1.3-meter terminal that is this compact and can be set up this easily is unparalleled in the flyaway SATCOM industry. Seeker fills what was a significant gap in the industry. It also makes efficient use of major swappable electronics, leveraging common hardware that makes life simpler for our customers,” said Ed Zoiss, Vice President, C4ISR Electronics, Harris Government Communications Systems.

“Seeker's system features, modem options, and minimal setup and tear-down times make it an antenna users have been waiting for. The system's blend of compact size, support of X-, Ku-, and Ka-bands, and low power consumption, proves that the Harris and Tampa Microwave partnership creates technical synergy that has resulted in an innovative product,” said Eric Guerrazzi, Vice President and General Manager of Tampa Microwave.

Seeker is part of a broad portfolio of Harris flyaway terminals and Tampa Microwave sourced manpacks with sizes ranging from .45 meters to 3.8 meters. Customers will benefit from the 'family of terminals' approach that delivers commonality of components, training, operation, logistics, repair and maintenance.