On the performance of small aperture Ka-band terminals for use over the Wideband Gapfiller Satellite

Army doctrine is transforming to an expanded, more mobile battlefield, which is creating an ever-increasing demand for bandwidth and mobility. To meet these demands the Wideband Gapfiller System has been developed to provide a high capacity Ka-band transponder. However the Gapfiller payload is truly a wideband system that has an inherently limited capability to support small aperture terminals, particularly on the downlink where satellite radiated noise may have a limiting effect on small signal links.