Honeywell showcases advanced defense connectivity with Boeing 757-200 testbed

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Runway Girl Network | Runway Girl Network

By Sky Industry News

Sep 10, 2024

Honeywell’s Boeing 757-200 testbed aircraft is on a nine-stop tour of Africa, Europe, and the Middle East, demonstrating resilient connectivity to potential defense and government customers and journalists. Invited onboard the demonstration flight out of London Stansted Airport, participants experienced one of Honeywell's top airliners.

Built in 1982 as the fifth 757 delivered, this aircraft now features seven connectivity solutions. Among them is Honeywell’s JetWave MCX-branded terminal for demanding mission profiles including government and military applications.

JetWave MCX can connect to nearly any Ka-band network, including Inmarsat-now-Viasat’s Global Xpress Ka-band constellation and the US Space Force’s Wideband Global Satcom (WGS). During this tour, MCX primarily used Viasat networks, including a military version of Global Express.

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Other systems include Viasat's L-band satellite-based SwiftBroadband for cockpit communications and safety services. A smaller Honeywell Aspire 350 antenna system delivers services via Iridium’s next-gen Certus service powered by its Low Earth Orbit (LEO) constellation of L-band satellites. Cellular network connections are also accommodated on the ground through a large pylon high up on the starboard side of the forward fuselage.

The boarding process took place via the Inflite Jet Centre FBO. The facility’s comfortable interior contrasted with the utilitarian cabin of the 757. The aircraft features only 30 seats installed immediately aft of the cockpit with exposed cabling and structures elsewhere in the cabin.

Multiple workstations for flight test engineers occupy the center cabin. Wes Cook explained during a pre-flight briefing that “we’re demonstrating perhaps the world’s most highly connected aircraft. It has seven satcom services available and we can integrate modems to get into any LEO or GEO network; we’ve demonstrated MEO too.”

Honeywell calls this demo ‘PACE’ — Primary, Alternate, Contingency, and Emergency — referring to levels of connectivity in airspace where jamming or weather might limit options.

In-flight demonstrations showed extraordinary data rates via multiple systems simultaneously using large monitors onboard. Despite occasional Wi-Fi drops during this one-hour demonstration flight, real-time data flow was evident on monitors around the cabin.