Northcom pushes DISA for third U.S. teleport

The Northern Command would like the Defense Information Systems Agency to expand its global network of satellite teleports, which links deployed units to the Global Information Grid, by adding a third hub in the United States for backup.Rear Adm. Kendall Card, command and control director for Northcom, said he believes a third teleport in the United States would provide additional backup if a disaster or attack disabled the two existing DISA teleports, one of which is based at Camp Roberts, Calif., and the other in the Norfolk, Va. area.A DISA spokesman said the agency is working with Northcom and the Joint Staff to validate requirements and to determine whether a third U.S. teleport should be incorporated into the program budget baseline. If so, the new teleport would fall into the 2008-2012 time frame based on funding and priorities.DISA also has teleports in Hawaii and Japan and a $43 million budget for an ambitious upgrade program from 2005 through 2011. This upgrade program, according to DISA budget documents, includes installation of satellite terminals which operate in the C, X and Ku bands followed by phased installation of Ultra High Frequency and Extremely High Frequency terminals and then Ka band terminals.The teleport upgrade program also includes a switch to systems that will support IP communications and systems and terminals to support next-generation military communications satellites, such as the Navy’s Mobile User Objective System and the Transformational Communications Satellite.