viasat’s Groundbreaking Achievements at MSUA 2025 Awards

Viasat’s innovative Hybrid SATCOM Approach (HSA) platform, along with its Multi-Domain Unified Secure Integrated Communications (MUSIC) system, has garnered prestigious accolades at the Satellite User Association (MSUA) 2025 awards.

Acknowledgment of Excellence in Mobile Connectivity

The HSA and MUSIC solutions were honored in the categories of Government Mobile Innovation and Software Defined Network Innovation, respectively. These annual awards celebrate advancements in mobile connectivity across various domains, including land, sea, air, and space.

Versatile Connectivity with HSA

Viasat’s HSA platform is a versatile airborne solution that provides multi-orbit, multi-frequency, and multi-network satellite connectivity. Utilizing Viasat’s dual-band (Ku/Ka) global aero terminal as its foundation, the HSA features a modular open architecture that facilitates access to extensive high-capacity coverage, akin to cellular roaming across different satellite frequency bands, networks, and orbits.

Leadership Insights on modern Missions

Vic Farah, Senior Vice President of Viasat government Services and Solutions, remarked, “The contemporary battlespace is evolving rapidly, and we take pride in being at the forefront of supporting modern missions with dependable and resilient SATCOM for seamless data and intelligence sharing. Our team is dedicated to addressing customer challenges, and the HSA platform provides the necessary versatility for accessing multi-orbit, multi-network communications essential for diverse missions.”

Enhanced Operational Flexibility

the open architecture of the HSA allows for the integration of various terminals, including Viasat’s Ku/Ka array antenna, Ku-LEO, L-band, UHF, and Mobile User Objective System (MUOS), enhancing operational flexibility and resilience. this integration combines trusted, currently available solutions into a high-performance connectivity framework tailored for government and military aircraft.

Innovative Collaboration with the U.S. Department of Defense

Developed in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Defense’s Office of Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (OUSD R&E) under the Technology readiness and Experimentation (T-REX) initiative, Viasat’s MUSIC solution represents a state-of-the-art configuration of its software-defined networking (SDN) capabilities. It is specifically designed to facilitate uncrewed swarm communications operations,providing secure,multi-path transport and network orchestration to optimize satellite connectivity for mission success.

Reliable Communication for Autonomous Systems

Built on Viasat’s SDN platform, NetAgility, the MUSIC architecture guarantees reliable communication for autonomous systems across various networks and transport methods. This advanced connectivity solution enables the coordination of autonomous systems, ensuring the swift transfer of critical submission and mission data when and where it is needed.

Global Recognition and Real-World applications

These pioneering technologies are being recognized as significant force multipliers by government clients worldwide. For instance, Viasat is currently working on integrating the HSA into the Embraer C-390 platform. Additionally, the MUSIC networking solution was effectively utilized to connect autonomous maritime systems during the AUKUS Autonomous Warrior 24 exercise last year, and the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) plans to leverage MUSIC for its Replicator initiative, which focuses on coordinating autonomous systems.

Commitment to innovation and Customer Needs

Susan Miller, President of Viasat Government, expressed, “We are honored to receive recognition from MSUA with the Government Mobile and Software Defined Network Innovation awards. These accolades reflect our teams’ dedication to developing and delivering innovative, flexible SATCOM and advanced tactical network solutions that meet the real mission needs of government and military clients.”

David Schmolke, Vice President of Mission Connections and Cybersecurity, emphasized Viasat’s customer-focused approach, stating, “Our team collaborated closely with customers to understand and address their needs throughout the development of the MUSIC architecture. The coordinated use of autonomous systems provides critical operational advantages as the demand for rapid data collection and sharing increases. We are proud to work alongside government users to tackle complex tactical networking challenges through advanced, software-defined orchestration capabilities like MUSIC and NetAgility.”

Conclusion: Celebrating Innovation in Satellite technology

The MSUA unveiled the complete list of winners for the 2025 Satellite Mobile Innovation Awards following the awards ceremony held on March 11th.