On Monday, July 20, 2026, ThinKom Solutions, Inc. announced that its ThinAir GT2517 airborne terminal successfully completed the SES Government Technology Certification (GTC) program.
The milestone establishes the terminal as the first airborne antenna certified for operation on the O3b mPOWER Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) constellation within the SES sovereign services portfolio. The terminal is cleared for deployment across the full complement of SES Space and Defense (SESSD) Geostationary (GEO) and Non-Geostationary Orbit (NGSO) assets adhering to Committee on National Security Systems Policy 12 (CNSSP-12) mandates.
Aero-Terminal Architecture and SWaP-C Specifications
The GT2517 utilizes Variable Inclination Continuous Transverse Stub (VICTS) technology to optimize size, weight, and power (SWaP) parameters for military and special mission aircraft:
- Profile Efficiency: Low-profile integration reduces aerodynamic drag on the aircraft wing, minimizing fuel burn and extending time on station.
- Spectral Performance: Highly directional beam characteristics and very low sidelobes protect the hardware against the ingress of high-intensity radio frequency (RF) energy.
- Hardened Protection: The antenna’s electronic signatures shield tactical platforms from Electromagnetic Interference (EMI), Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) faults, High-Altitude Electromagnetic Pulse (HEMP), and High-Power Microwave (HPM) threats.
- Modem Compatibility: The baseline Type 3 configuration integrates the antenna architecture directly with the next-generation Hughes HM400 software-defined modem.
Sovereign Mission Integration and Interference Mitigation
The certification allows government users to access high-throughput, low-latency data streams to support secure Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) and command and control (C2) missions. By integrating the SESSD Terminal Manager software module, the platform automates resource allocation and dynamic scheduling across orbits. This validation builds upon the previous SES multi-orbit type approval granted to ThinKom’s Ka-band components earlier this year.
“The addition of O3b mPower to the GT2517’s available GEO and NGSO connectivity options ensures that secure, resilient, multi-orbit service is readily available for the broadest range of airborne operations and missions,” stated Bill Milroy, ThinKom’s Chief Technology Officer.
Future Fleet Roadmap
ThinKom verified compliance with open industry standards, ensuring system integration through full support of the OpenAMIP and OpenBMIP protocols. Following this Type 3 milestone, the manufacturer plans to advance upcoming certification pipelines for its smaller GT1717 terminal alongside alternative software-defined modem configurations to widen operator procurement paths.
