The Pentagon's ambitious proliferated constellation program is encountering supply chain constraints with optical communication terminals, according to defense officials. GP Sandhoo noted that the current production capacity falls short of military requirements, stating "From an optical communications terminal perspective, we're not there yet on how many we need."
Optical terminals enable high-speed, secure data transmission between satellites using laser communications rather than traditional radio frequencies. These systems are critical for the Pentagon's vision of a resilient, distributed satellite network that can maintain connectivity even under contested conditions.