Enhanced Polar System (EPS)

The Enhanced Polar System (EPS) provides continuous protected communication (low probability of interception and detection) over the North Polar Region using two communications payloads on classified host satellites in highly elliptical Molniya orbits.

EPS is composed of four segments: the Extended Data Rate Payload (integrated onto a classified host), the User Terminals (acquired separately by the users), the Gateway (GW) (a fixed installation), and the Control and Planning Segment (CAPS) (another fixed installation). The Payload segment provides protected Extremely High Frequency communications in the North Polar Region. The Terminal segment provides the communication link to the EPS users. The GW segment provides connectivity between the north polar users and the mid-latitude users via the Defense Information System Network / Global Information Grid. CAPS acts as the Satellite Operations Center with command and control, mission and crypto planning, test and sustainment, training, ephemeris, and key distribution workload.

EPS will provide continuous coverage in the polar region for secure, jam-resistant, strategic and tactical communications to support peacetime, contingency, homeland defense, humanitarian assistance and wartime operations. The system consists of two EHF communications payloads hosted on satellites operating in highly elliptical orbits, modified AEHF communications terminals, a Gateway to provide connectivity into other communication systems and the Global Information Grid (GIG) and the EPS Control and Planning Segment (CAPS) to provide telemetry and control, mission planning and cryptographic planning for the EPS payload.

The EPS system will provide communications for military tactical and strategic forces and other users for operations above 65 deg N. Additionally, EPS provides connectivity to Combatant Commander Command and Control (C2) centers below 65 deg N. EPS characteristics include protected communications services, communications services without continuous system C2, integrated capability allowing different levels of planners to manage their resources, interconnectivity between Enhanced Polar satellites and mid-latitude users via an EPS Gateway located at a GIG PoP (Point of Presence), data rates between 75 bps and 1.28 Mbps (threshold) and an AEHF Extended Data Rate (XDR)-interoperable waveform.

The Enhanced Polar System (EPS) represents an evolution of requirements for protected extremely high frequency (EHF) satellite communications in the North Polar Region. EPS is the next-generation SATCOM system that will replace the current Interim Polar System (IPS) and serve as a polar adjunct to the Advanced EHF system.

EPS will provide continuous coverage in the polar region for secure, jam-resistant, strategic and tactical communications to support peacetime, contingency, homeland defense, humanitarian assistance, and wartime operations. The system consists of two EHF communications payloads hosted on satellites operating in highly elliptical orbits, a Gateway to other communication systems and the Global Information Grid (GIG), and a competitively selected ground segment to accommodate EPS payload command and control.

The EPS system will provide communications for military tactical and strategic forces and other users for operations above 65 degrees north. Additionally, EPS provides connectivity to Combatant Commander Command and Control centers below 65 degrees north. EPS characteristics include protected communications services, communications services for users without continuous system C2, integrated capability allowing users to manage their assigned resources, interconnectivity between Enhanced Polar satellites and mid-latitude users via an EPS Gateway located at a GIG Point of Presence, and an AEHF Extended Data Rate (XDR)-interoperable waveform. Each EPS payload must provide the minimum capacity to accommodate 20 communication channels operating in a 64 kbps mode (1.28 Mbps capacity). Users operate in standard XDR modes supported by the EPS communication links (data rates from 75 bps up to 2.048 Mbps).

The Air Force acquired two payloads through a classified host in accordance with the approved EPS ADM dated December 8, 2007. Key program milestones include the Acquisition Strategy Addendum no.1 in January 2012 and EPS Acquisition Decision Memorandum in May 2012. In 2013, Northrop Grumman delivered two payloads that were hosted on government-owned satellites to bring next-generation protected, EHF communications to military users in the north polar region (above 65? North). The GW Segment completed hardware installation at Clear Air Force Station (CAFS), Alaska and Camp Roberts, California in 2015. Northrop Grumman also successfully deployed the EPS Control and Planning Segment (CAPS) hardware in December 2015 to operational sites at Clear Air Force Station, Alaska and Schriever Air Force Base, Colorado – paving the way for System Acceptance Testing in the spring of 2017. CAPS is a next-generation ground system that receives telemetry and supplies configuration commands, mission planning and cryptographic planning for the two EPS polar-orbiting payloads. The Air Force issued a two-year Authority to Operate (ATO) for CAPS in May 2018.

On 07 June 2018 a Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC) payload will provide highly protected communications for warfighters under a new $429 million contract with the U.S. Air Force. Northrop Grumman was awarded a $429 million contract to provide two Extremely High Frequency eXtended Data Rate (EHF XDR) payloads for the Enhanced Polar System-Recapitalization (EPS-R). The contract was awarded by Space and Missile Systems Center, Military Satellite Communications Directorate, Los Angeles Air Force Base, California.

The Air Force renewed a 2-year GW ATO in November 2019. Massachusetts Institute of Technology Lincoln Laboratory (MIT/LL) provided the Telemetry and Command (T&C) Terminal (T&C-T) for telemetry and command of the payload. The Navy Multiband Terminal, funded and fielded by the Navy, is the only EPS-R-compatible user terminal at this time.

Payload Ready to Ship is defined as all factory work has been completed and payload can be readied for shipment to the satellite vehicle contractor facility for integration and test prior to launch. The threshold date margin of one year is due to the significant dependence on the Space Norway procurement schedule and the ability of Space Norway's selected space ehicle contractor to meet EPS-R payload development schedule.

Developmental integrated system testing successfully completed in December 2017. Lead Developmental Test Organization testing commenced in January 2018 and completed in December 2018. Multi-Service Operational Test and Evaluation began in March 2019 and successfully completed in June 2019. On September 19, 2019, the Air Force declared Operational Acceptance, IOC, and FOC for the original EPS program. United States Space Command accepted EPS for operational use on November 19, 2019. The original EPS program is transitioning to sustainment.