SD, the business, military, and government aviation solutions provider, is expanding its hardware portfolio with the launch of a new tail-mounted antenna series. The announcement, which heralds the launch of the SD Plane Simple antenna portfolio, positions SD as a single source provider of end-to-end connectivity solutions for business jet and government operators worldwide.
The new tail-mounted antenna system offers two variants for operation in Ku- or Ka-band frequencies. The Ku-band variant is expected to be available for STC in early 2021, followed by the Ka-band version later in the year.
With only two line-replaceable units (LRUs) and a network agnostic design, the common form factor and wiring simplify the installation, which allows owners and operators to equip aircraft with a connectivity system compatible with future technological developments. Partnerships with Inmarsat for Jet ConneX service delivery and Intelsat for FlexExec connectivity have already been established.
The Plane Simple antenna series also provides SD with greater insight into system performance thus streamlining and enhancing the SD support process.
“Until now customers may have had to contact two or three companies to integrate or troubleshoot the equipment and services needed for consistent connectivity. Now with the Plane Simple antennas added to the SD portfolio, we can rapidly predict and respond to issues before or as they occur,” says Jim Jensen, SD Founder and CEO.
“We are committed to delivering the best-in-class aircraft connectivity experiences, which augment operational efficiencies through the SD ecosystem of hardware, software, infrastructure, and data synchronization, all of which is supported by an award-winning customer care team. For the first time, operators will be able to choose the connectivity system that best meets their mission requirements and also positions their aircraft ahead of technological changes in the satellite sector,” concludes Jensen.