Mobile User Objective System (MUOS) Sustainment & Maintenance

In early 2021, Av-Comm Space and Defence commenced preventative and corrective maintenance of the Mobile User Objective System (MUOS) Satellite Ground Station systems hosted in Australia on behalf of General Dynamics Mission Systems (GDMS). 

Av-Comm approaches Sustainment & Maintenance activities with the principle of the 3U’s, Upkeep, Update, and Upgrade. The goal of all our sustainment activities is to ensure existing infrastructure operates at the highest availability, avoiding costly and unexpected outage events.

Av-Comm’s Field Services team undertook the scope of the MUOS maintenance works, including coordination, project management, and stakeholder reporting. The project involved logistical coordination, including critical sustainment activities that ensured refurbishment of base components of the satellite ground station, including the motor and gearbox components, position sensor and emergency stop mechanism, sub-reflector and the reflector back structure. Drawing upon our 43 years of experience the team meticulously planned the maintenance activities to minimise the downtime of each terminal ensuring the MUOS system continued to support its primary customer without impacting the service.  

The Mobile User Objective System (MUOS) project is a narrowband satellite communications system designed by Lockheed Martin for the United States Navy.  

MUOS has played a significant role in revolutionising the way in which tactical users can connect to secure radio networks across the globe. MUOS is tailored to support military users needing greater mobility, higher data rates, and better operational reliability, along with global security controlled by the USA.