The Navy’s new joint tactical communications satellite arrived at Alaska’s Kodiak Launch Complex, March 1 and is currently undergoing final preparations for its scheduled spring liftoff.

Funded by the Office of Naval Research (ONR), the Tactical Microsatellite (TacSat)-4 is smaller in size, lower in cost and relatively quicker to launch than a traditional system. TacSat-4 is designed to augment traditional satellite communications, supplying 10 legacy ultra-high-frequency channels. It can provide two hours of coverage up to three times per day and support multiple theaters worldwide in a 24-hour period.