Augmentation of Military Satellites with High Altitude Balloons: A UHF Case Study

This paper presents analysis ascertaining obtainable coverage that provides services to ultra-high frequency (UHF) satellite communications (SATCOM) users in the Northern Polar regions through the employment of high-altitude balloons equipped with a UHF capability. This coverage performance is compared to that achieved by the current UHF polar satellite capability. The required capability onboard the balloon is determined, along with the number of balloons required to provide coverage performance equivalent to the current UHF polar satellite capability