U.S Army Testing Confirms ALL.SPACE Hydra MAX as First Multi-Orbit, On-The-Move Tactical Terminal

ALL.SPACE has announced a major milestone for military satellite communications, confirming the successful completion of U.S. Army testing for its Hydra MAX terminal under the Next Generation Tactical Terminal (NGTT) programme. The achievement marks one of the most significant advancements in multi-orbit, on-the-move connectivity for modern battlefield operations.

A New Era of Multi-Orbit Communications

The company revealed that Hydra MAX has been officially validated as the first tactical terminal capable of delivering simultaneous Low Earth Orbit (LEO), Medium Earth Orbit (MEO), and Geostationary Orbit (GEO) connectivity while mobile. This gives commanders uninterrupted access to cloud services, ISR feeds, and mission-critical applications regardless of terrain, atmospheric interference, or adversarial electronic warfare threats.

The NGTT programme was launched to overcome long-standing limitations in beyond-line-of-sight (BLOS) communications. Legacy systems often struggled to maintain high-throughput links during manoeuvre operations, especially in contested or denied environments. ALL.SPACE was selected to deliver a TRL 6 production-ready prototype capable of overcoming these constraints using a multi-beam, multi-orbit framework.

Realistic Mobility Trials at Aberdeen Proving Ground

To validate the system, ALL.SPACE collaborated with Telesat Government Solutions and Viasat in a demanding testing campaign at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland. Demonstrations included rugged off-road vehicle manoeuvres, rapid azimuth and elevation changes, and operating conditions designed to simulate real battlefield scenarios.

During testing, Hydra MAX maintained simultaneous LEO, MEO, and GEO links, delivering:

• sustained high-throughput data

• high-resolution live video feeds

• uninterrupted mobility performance

• resilience during vibration, rough terrain, and high-speed turns

A highlight of the assessment was the system’s ability to maintain LEO beam lock despite abrupt directional changes—an area where conventional SATCOM terminals often fail.

Digital Beamforming Gives Hydra MAX a Technical Edge

Hydra MAX uses advanced digital beamforming paired with monopulse tracking, allowing the terminal to react up to four times faster than traditional mechanical or hybrid systems. This enables it to dynamically steer multiple beams across wide scan angles with precision, even during violent platform motion.

The system supports:

• up to four simultaneous beams

• multi-orbit, multi-network load balancing

• SD-WAN-enabled routing

• modular software-defined upgrades

• automatic mitigation of signal interference or jamming

This technology is central to its role in enabling the U.S. military’s Joint All-Domain Command and Control (JADC2) concept by ensuring resilient, redundant, and autonomous data pathways.

Preparing for Telesat Lightspeed and Future Networks

The trials also build upon a growing collaboration between ALL.SPACE and Telesat Government Solutions, aiming to secure early type certification for Hydra MAX on the upcoming Telesat Lightspeed LEO constellation. Lightspeed is expected to provide global, high-throughput coverage optimized for mobility and defence missions.

Once certified, Hydra MAX will be capable of seamlessly integrating new constellations into its multi-beam transport layer, giving operators additional resilience and reducing dependency on any single orbit or network provider.

U.S. Army Confirms TRL 6 Status

Following the exhaustive test campaign, the U.S. Army formally recognized Hydra MAX as having achieved Technology Readiness Level 6 (TRL 6)—confirmation that the system has been demonstrated in a relevant military environment and is approaching production maturity.

Achieving TRL 6 moves Hydra MAX one step closer to full fielding across tactical formations and potential integration into the Army’s future networks, including SATCOM modernization efforts and distributed command architectures.

Leadership Perspective

Paul McCarter, CEO of ALL.SPACE, called the results a defining achievement:

“Successfully completing this testing as part of the NGTT program and reaching TRL 6 is a defining moment for ALL.SPACE. Hydra MAX has proven it can deliver uninterrupted, intelligent connectivity in the harshest operational conditions. For commanders, this means cloud access, data fusion and decision superiority remain intact—no matter the orbit, no matter the threat.”

Strategic Impact for U.S. and Allied Defence

Experts note that multi-orbit, on-the-move connectivity is becoming essential as adversaries expand jamming, spoofing, and anti-satellite capabilities. Systems like Hydra MAX ensure:

• persistent communication during electronic warfare

• redundancy across multiple satellite constellations

• improved survivability for command-and-control networks

• reduced latency for drone feeds, sensor fusion, and AI-enabled mission systems

The terminal’s Modular Open Systems Approach (MOSA) ensures compatibility with emerging networks, allied architectures, and future software-defined upgrades—making it potentially attractive to NATO forces seeking interoperable multi-orbit solutions.

Looking Ahead

As the NGTT programme advances, Hydra MAX is now positioned for integration into the Army’s next-generation communications toolkit. ALL.SPACE is expected to continue partnering with Telesat, Viasat, and emerging satellite providers to ensure the terminal remains interoperable across LEO, MEO, GEO, and future proliferated constellations.

With TRL 6 achieved and multi-orbit performance proven under real-world conditions, Hydra MAX stands as one of the most advanced tactical communication terminals currently in development—offering warfighters the resilient connectivity needed for tomorrow’s high-threat battlefields.