FEBRUARY 6, 2023 – Airmen from Kadena Air Base, Japan, recently completed a simulated deploying of a new Starlink terminal that can be used to great effectiveness in areas where an internet connection may be hard to establish.
Creating this connection made them the first in 5th Air Force and Okinawa to utilize the Starlink system and they did this while working with the sister service U.S. Marine Corps.
“We do all of our testing as though we’re deployed,” said Airman 1st Class Calvin Ledford, 18th Communication Squadron expeditionary communications technician. “With Starlink we’re able to get the same connection speeds as though we’re still inside our building back home.”
The field test turned out to be a success with a firm signal capable of supporting up to 25 people at a single time. Increasing capabilities and options downrange is an important point of interest for the entire Air Force, but 18th CS Airmen are specifically looking at multiplying their ACE effectiveness in support of a free and open INDO-PACIFIC.
“As we disperse to various locations and operate in a multitude of environments we’re expecting degraded communications and testing out new methods of contact is going to be vital” said U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Timothy Wiseman, 18th Wing Agile Combat Employment operations superintendent. “Getting to work in a joint environment with the marines on this is something that’s going to be required to succeed in the future.”
To accomplish this milestone, 18th Communication Squadron Airmen set up a field kit involving a Starlink satellite and some of their standard computer equipment to facilitate their test.
“We have preconfigured units that we have set up,” Ledford said. “We configure them to try and make the process as plug and play as possible. In the future we want to be able to send out pretty much anyone in communications out with a kit and have them set it up without requiring intimate knowledge of the system.”
With the advent of this new tool in the pacific theater and anywhere else Kadena AB Airmen respond, greater communication capabilities seem to be just on the horizon.
“We’re excited about how fast and easy to use it is and are hoping to demonstrate even greater potential once we get our own systems polished up,” Ledford said.
Story by Staff Sgt. Rhett Isbell
18th Wing Public Affairs