ALL.SPACE Hydra wins Viasat GX nod for defence use

ALL.SPACE has secured certification for its electronically steered Hydra satellite communications terminal on Viasat's Global Xpress network, enabling military Ka-band operation across Viasat's high-capacity steerable beams.

The certification grants Hydra Viasat GX Category 4 status. It covers "on the move," "on the pause," and "at the halt" use cases across land and maritime environments.

ALL.SPACE and Viasat have also entered a strategic collaboration to integrate Viasat's next-generation LSDR modem into ALL.SPACE's Hydra and Hydra MAX terminals. The companies plan to integrate, test, and certify the Hydra terminal family for operation across Viasat's global Ka-band network.

Network Access

Viasat's Global Xpress network provides satellite coverage for government and defence users. The certification extends Hydra's operational reach on the GX constellation, including in remote and high-latitude regions.

Military Ka-band access is becoming more prominent as defence organisations seek additional bandwidth and coverage options. Service providers and terminal manufacturers continue to work through interoperability and certification processes as allied forces push for communications that function across different operational settings.

The certification is positioned as particularly relevant for polar and other high-latitude operations-regions that have drawn increased strategic attention in recent years, including for maritime activity and defence planning.

Terminal Design

Hydra uses electronic beam steering and has no moving parts, an approach intended to improve reliability and survivability in harsh and contested environments.

ALL.SPACE describes the terminal family as built for mobility applications across land, maritime, and mobile command operations, and engineered to meet the requirements of the US Department of Defence, the UK Ministry of Defence, and allied users.

Electronic steering has become a key design choice for terminals designed for communications on the move. Removing mechanical components can reduce maintenance and alter failure modes in field conditions, although performance and integration requirements vary by network and mission profile.

Modem Integration

Under the collaboration, Viasat's next-generation LSDR modem will be integrated into Hydra and Hydra MAX. The work will cover integration, testing, and certification for operation across Viasat's global high-capacity Ka-band network.

The agreement also includes joint customer engagement, demonstrations, and operational trials focused on government and defence customers seeking resilient, multi-orbit connectivity aligned with modern satellite communications architectures.

Interoperability work between terminal platforms and network modems can affect everything from installation options to how users manage links in the field. Certification can also shorten procurement timelines for organisations that require validated configurations before deployment.

John-Paul Szczepanik, chief technology officer at ALL.SPACE, linked the milestone to operational resilience.

"Defence users require communications that are resilient by design, not just high performance. Certification on the Viasat GX network, combined with our strategic agreement with Viasat, expands the operational reach of our terminals and reinforces our commitment to delivering assured, mission-ready connectivity wherever operations take place."

Viasat said the collaboration supports its work with terminal partners serving government users.

"Viasat's high-capacity Ka-band network is designed to support secure, high-reliability communications for global government and defense operations," said Vic Farah, senior vice president of Government Services and Solutions at Viasat. "We look forward to working with ALL.SPACE to strengthen our ecosystem of connectivity solutions that can help deliver greater flexibility and resilience for customers operating across diverse and demanding mission environments."

The collaboration will continue through joint trials and customer demonstrations as integration and certification of the Hydra terminal family progress across Viasat's Ka-band network.