Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. (Nasdaq: KTOS), a technology company in defense, national security, and global markets, today announced the release of KnownSpace® Recon+™, a portable satellite terminal that escapes the limitations of traditional Space Domain Awareness (SDA) by integrating multiple Radio Frequency (RF) SDA capabilities into a single deployable unit.
Recon+ is a commercially available product. Units have already been purchased by multiple U.S. government agencies.
KnownSpace Recon+ introduces a new approach to SDA in the field by enabling operators to assess the RF environment from any location, detect and classify satellite signals, characterize activity and support advanced SDA missions with one portable system. The collection of capabilities was previously limited to enterprise grade systems at fixed gateway locations. Its design allows rapid deployment from a single device that can be integrated through cloud or gateway systems.
Historically, SDA has been defined by optical systems and radar, both of which have severe limitations on their ability to collect useful information. The advent of modern RF signal monitoring tools from companies like Kratos has dramatically expanded the depth, breadth and availability of that data about friendly and unfriendly satellite activity and their users on the ground. With Recon+, Kratos now frees warfighters from another historical limitation, putting these capabilities in a portable unit that can be carried into the field.
For example, with Recon+ individual warfighters or teams in multiple remote locations can monitor certain types of activity that reveal which satellites are transmitting and receiving in the vicinity, obtain insights into their activity, behavior, interference and changes over time. Recon+ also provides insights into local signal behaviors conducted on the ground, such as interference or jamming sources.
Recon+ can be configured in a variety of form factors to meet a range of mission-specific goals, ranging from fly-away kits to transportable units that can be deployed at command posts or mounted on a vehicle. Built on Kratos OpenSpace® architecture, multiple Recon+ units can be networked for remote operations, extending RF awareness across dispersed locations while enabling connectivity and data sharing with other SDA systems. Its software-defined architecture also supports cloud connectivity and third-party software integration, allowing capabilities to be added and adapted as mission needs evolve. Together, these features underscore that Recon+ can be quickly tailored for mission-specific objectives while remaining highly portable.
Hugh White, vice president of SDA & Space Superiority at Kratos said: “As the latest addition to the KnownSpace solutions family, Recon+ helps defense and other government agencies escape the limits of traditional ground systems with a powerful, flexible way for users to understand the RF activity in space and respond in real time.”