An unspecified NATO member state has placed an order with Spectra Group for Comtech’s Mobile Transportable Transmission System (MTTS) troposcatter terminals, the company announced on 15 September. Valued at €13 million, the contract includes a comprehensive spares and support package and reflects growing NATO demand for resilient beyond-line-of-sight (BLOS) communications that can operate independently of satellite infrastructure while maintaining connectivity in contested, congested operational environments.
Spectra Group acquired the global distribution rights for Comtech’s troposcatter systems in 2024, excluding North America, which remain under Comtech management. This procurement is for the larger and more powerful MTTS designed to deliver assured, high-capacity BLOS communications over ranges in excess of 250km. The system’s performance easily bridges significant geographic barriers within national borders, thus ensuring secure, strategic communications links between dispersed locations of national value, if required.
Tropospheric scatter uses the Troposphere (up to about 13km altitude) to provide high-bandwidth communications that are independent of satellites, resilient in GPS/GNSS-denied environments and designed for use in peer-on-peer conflict or multi-domain integration operations. They offer inherently low latency and substantial bandwidth, enabling analysis and transfer of large volumes of data at low operating cost.
The Comtech MTTS is a modular, mobile, highly flexible and rapidly deployable system for applications in which high power (500W) is required. The radio can deliver bandwidths of up to 210Mbps and is also effective in polar regions, unlike geostationary satellites. Due to its directional, low power and complex waveform characteristics, it is inherently difficult to detect and resistant to EW interference – key advantages for NATO and partner nation operations.
“The troposcatter family of systems offers a wide range of capabilities to meet the strategic communication needs of NATO nations, from the highly mobile man portable COMET, that can also be used in conjunction with the Troposcatter On The Move antenna for littoral manoeuvre, to our most powerful MTTS, which this NATO MoD has selected to meet its unique geographic and operational requirements. MTTS delivers the secure, robust and mobile, high-data-capacity command communications infrastructure they require. With other NATO partners already fielding Troposcatter systems, MTTS represents an ideal solution for assured connectivity, interoperability and resilience in demanding environments,” commented Spectra Group Business Development Manager, Micchael Davies.
“The selection of the MTTS system by this NATO nation highlights the growing demand for resilient, high-capacity, and rapidly deployable communications infrastructure—ensuring secure, long-range connectivity in some of today’s most complex and contested operational environments,” added Daniel Gizinski, President of Comtech’s Satellite and Space Communications Segment.
Headline image The Comtech Troposcatter MTTS (Spectra Group)
