Upper Tactical Internet in the High North

Training in Finland

By 1st Lt. Clifford“Danny” Slaton, 1st Battalion,
8th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division

Article published on: in the Army Communicator 2025 Edition

Read Time: < 6 mins

With Finland's recent ascension as the 31st NATO member state, U.S. and allied armies will increasingly train there to enhance multinational interoperability. Finland's rugged geography and high latitude present complex challenges for U.S. military capabilities. This is especially true for command and control (C2) systems that rely on satellite orbital patterns and line of sight (LoS) communications to function properly.

“Mustangs” in 1st Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment (18 CR), 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team (ABCT), 1st Calvary Division (CD) recently experienced these challenges first and during two months of collective training in Finland from April-June 2023.

18 CR's S6 section was tasked with testing upper-tactical internet (T/I) capabilities in Finland while simultaneously using a modified Table of Organization and Equipment and commercial off-the-shelf equipment, including the satellite transportable terminal (STT), Kymeta, and Starlink as transport terminals. During our capabilities assessment, Task Force (TF) Mustang's S6 successfully tested these different terminals and found that Kymeta performed the best, followed by Starlink and the STT.

The below information summarizes lessons learned from our time in Finland.

Operations Arrow and Lock

TF Mustang participated in two operations while in Finland: Operation Arrow and Operation Lock. Operation Arrow '23 was hosted by the Finnish army's Armored Brigade in Niinisalo Training Area. TF Mustangs then moved 153 miles east to Vekaranjar-vi, Finland, to participate in Operation Lock '23, hosted by the Finnish army's Karelian Brigade. During both exercises, TF Mustangs supported a V Corp G6 Upper T/I capabilities assessment on the effectiveness of the STT, Starlink, and Kymeta in Finland based on limited satellite coverage and different orbital patterns for geosynchronous earth orbit (GEO) and low earth orbit (LEO) satellites. Upper T/I is crucial because it enables tactical unit communications with higher echelons over NIPR and SIPR and communicates with NATO allies using a mission partner environment (MPE).

As we look into the future, we must explore the possibilities of using novel methods to effectively and efficiently gain upper tactical infrastructure in the High North.

Satellite Transportable Terminal

Brigadier General Paul D. Howard, Chief of Signal and U.S. Army Signal School Commandant

The STT had a reliable connection to its designated satellite but struggled due to dense vegetation and the low approach angle that the STT must be oriented to connect to the fixed satellite. This angle of approach limits the commander's opportunities for tactical operations center (TOC) placement. The STT is not fit for providing upper T/I in Finland in a consistent, reliable matter due to the heavy vegetation causing limited opportunities for direct LoS to the sky. Finland's terrain is not conducive to traditional ways of connecting to upper T/I with an STT. Connecting to the designated satellite becomes complex and limits the possibilities of TOC locations that provide adequate cover and concealment as you need to find relatively open terrain with a clear LoS to the orbital path of the designated satellite.

The pros of the STT were that once connected, you can expect steady bandwidth without worrying about losing connection with the designated satellite. Once the STT is deployed and connected, it is unnecessary to check its connection status periodically.

The cons of using the STT are that the terrain could be more conducive to providing ample opportunity to find appropriate space and LoS to the satellite that is required for the low angle of orientation you need to point the antenna. We tested the STT during a week of simulated combat operations and the STT operated with an average steady download speed of 138Mbps and average upload speed of 47Mbps. These speeds are important because it provides appropriate bandwidth for staff to function with slight fluctuation in download and upload speeds.

Starlink

Using commercial off-the-self-equipment makes connecting to the upper T/I infrastructure more efficient and, in some cases, more reliable. Starlink worked well providing internet but struggled to provide Upper T/I through the command post node (CPN). When successfully connected through iVPN, Starlink would go down while transitioning to a different satellite, causing variable times in latency for services. Providing the commander with appropriate TOC locations became difficult, as we still needed to provide the antenna with enough space to have a direct LoS to different satellites on different orbital paths. Starlink uses LEO satellites with different orbital patterns, causing the terminal to need more of an open environment to connect to the SpaceX satellites in various locations in the sky.

The pros of using Starlink are the time required to establish services to a TOC is reduced significantly, and it requires less square footage to establish connection to the SpaceX satellite. The cons of Starlink are the variable and unknown times of when satellites are in range and passing over the right part of the sky. Once Starlink is connected, there is no guarantee of what bandwidth there will be or how long upper T/I will be down for the TOC. Overhead obstructions must be minimized with LEO satellites passing on different orbital patterns. We tested Starlink in a tactical environment over the span of two weeks. We concluded that Starlink operates with an average variable download speed of 233Mbps and an average variable upload speed of 154Mbps. While good speeds, they do not make up for the down times Starlink experienced in this environment.

Kymeta

Utilizing a commercial off-the-shelf terminal to connect to the CPN over iVPN through the taclane allows internet services to operate simultaneously with little issues. During this operation, Kymeta had no LEO satellites in orbit above Finland. Assessments were limited to the cellular capabilities of the Osprey u8 terminal. The u8 terminal has dual Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) capabilities, which allowed us to use both a local SIM card and a Kymeta provided global SIM card. Utilizing a local SIM card camouflaged our signal with the local population, becoming unrecognizable. Overhead obstructions were not a concern, as the Kymeta system wasn't connecting to satellites. Pending good cellular tower coverage, more concealed TOC locations were viable.

The pros of using Kymeta are that establishing a connection took significantly less time than the STT and Starlink. The fastest setup time recorded was 14 minutes to provide Upper T/I. The terminal needed little to no line of sight to the sky as it wasn't connecting to satellites. The cons of using Kymeta were our inability to install it on a vehicle and utilize on-the-move connection capabilities. This Kymeta terminal uses pre-established cell towers, which has the potential to cause problems in a battlefield environment. Additionally, it is large, cumbersome and needs designated space to transport. We tested Kymeta in a tactical environment over the span of two weeks. Overall, Kymeta Osprey u8 operates with a download speed of 116Mbps and an average upload speed of 37Mbps. These speeds are appropriate for staff to function and communicate with higher echelons.

Live tracker ofStarlink LEO satellite coverage for EUCOM/Finland in 2023.

During Operation Lock, our team explored a prototype terminal from Kymeta and its capabilities. The Kymeta u8 Hawk terminal has GEO, LEO, and SIM capabilities built into one transport terminal, allowing for a seamless transition to the transport capability with the best connection. Depending on the best connectivity, the terminal can switch between LEO, GEO, and LTE at a moment's notice. The terminal also has on-the-move connection capabilities, allowing some staff elements to continue working while a TOC jumps to a new location. Terrain and tree coverage are of little concern when choosing TOC locations. There is also the ability to use a locally sourced SIM card, which masks its use in the field environment.

Conclusion

During its two months of multinational training in Finland, TF Mustang's S6 section tested several terminals to learn the strengths and weaknesses of each. We learned how Finland's high latitude and dense vegetation significantly impacts U.S. military C2 capabilities, especially upper tactical internet infrastructure. We found that Kymeta was the only terminal that experienced no connectivity issues during simulated combat operations, while the STT and Starlink struggled with Finland's reduced satellite coverage. These findings and lessons learned have important implications for the U.S. Army Signaleers who are operating with our new allies.

As NATO training in the High North increases in the coming years, understanding these technical constraints is critical to providing effective C2 systems, despite Finland's latitude and terrain. Units training in the High North in wooded terrain should consider using Kymeta's Osprey u8 terminal with locally purchased SIM cards restricting heat signatures or emitters. Further tests of the Osprey u8 Hawk are necessary to fully understand the additional LEO, GEO, and SIM capabilities within the new Kymeta terminal.