Spectra Group secures €13 million NATO contract for Comtech MTTS Troposcatter Terminals

Spectra Group (UK) Ltd has secured a €13 million contract from a NATO ally for Comtech’s Mobile Transportable Transmission System (MTTS) Troposcatter terminals, including a comprehensive spares and support package.

Spectra Group specialises in secure, reliable and resilient beyond line-of-sight communications for operations in denied and contested environments. The contract reflects growing NATO demand for resilient beyond-line-of-sight (BLOS) communications that can operate independently of satellite infrastructure and maintain connectivity in contested and congested operational environments.

How secure strategic communications between dispersed locations is enabled in demanding environments

The Comtech MTTS system provides high-capacity communications links between dispersed locations where assured connectivity is critical to operational effectiveness.

Michael Davies, Business Development Manager at Spectra Group said: “The Troposcatter Family of Systems offers a wide range of capabilities to meet the strategic communication needs of NATO nations, from the highly mobile man portable COMET, that can also be used in conjunction with the Troposcatter On The Move (TOTM) antenna for littoral manoeuvre, to our most powerful MTTS, which this NATO MOD has selected to meet its unique geographic and operational requirements.

“MTTS delivers the secure, robust and mobile, high-data-capacity command communications infrastructure they require. With other NATO partners already fielding Troposcatter systems, MTTS represents an ideal solution for assured connectivity, interoperability and resilience in demanding environments.”

Spectra Group acquired the global distribution rights for Comtech’s Troposcatter Family of Systems in 2024 (excluding the USA, Canada and Mexico which remain under Comtech management). This procurement is for the larger and more powerful MTTS designed to deliver assured, high-capacity BLOS communications over ranges in excess of 250 kilometres. The system’s performance easily bridges significant geographic barriers within national borders, thus ensuring secure, strategic communications links between dispersed locations of national value, if required.

What inherent benefits do Troposcatter systems provide?

Tropospheric scatter is a communications capability that uses the Troposphere (up to about 13 kilometres altitude) to provide high-bandwidth communications that are independent of satellites and resilient in GPS/GNSS-denied environments and designed for use in peer-on-peer conflict or Multi-Domain Integration operations. Troposcatter systems offer inherently low latency and substantial bandwidth, enabling analysis and transfer of large data volumes at low operating cost.

The Comtech MTTS is a modular, transit case based system, which makes it mobile, highly flexible and rapidly deployable when high power (500W) is required. The radio can deliver bandwidths of up to 210Mbps when used in dual-stream mode, which is common across the Troposcatter FoS and can communicate beyond line of sight, in excess of 250km, depending on terrain and environmental conditions.

Unlike geostationary satellites, Troposcatter is also effective in polar regions and, due to its directional, low power and complex waveform characteristics, is inherently difficult to detect and resistant to electronic warfare interference – key advantages for NATO and partner-nation operations.

Daniel Gizinski, President of Comtech’s Satellite and Space Communications Segment, said: “Our partnership with Spectra Group continues to be instrumental in delivering Comtech’s next-generation Troposcatter solutions to allied Ministries of Defence around the world,

“The selection of the MTTS system by this NATO nation highlights the growing demand for resilient, high-capacity, and rapidly deployable communications infrastructure – ensuring secure, long-range connectivity in some of today’s most complex and contested operational environments.”