Thales has announced the launch of its new ThalesLINK product line of L-band solutions – MissionLINK 200 and VesseLINK 200. 

These solutions are the first of their kind for Iridium Certus 200 services, which operate on a network of 66 satellites. The 200 series is designed for customers looking for increased mobility, with the same reliability and low-latency that Iridium offers.

The ThalesLINK 200 series is the second product line of L-band solutions on Iridium Certus following the January 2019 launch of MissionLINK 700 – for land applications – and VesseLINK 700 – for maritime applications. The arrival of the high-performing, small form factor MissionLINK 200 and VesseLINK 200 solutions now bring the powerful Iridium Certus service platform to a new set of customers, on-land and at-sea.

The MissionLINK 200 and VesseLINK 200 solutions provide 176 kbps of upload/download speed for voice and data communications in extreme environmental conditions such as temperatures that range from -40 to +55° C. They also feature highly-compact, lighter-weight antennas that weigh less than 0.7 kilograms (1.5 pounds), making them ideal solutions for smaller platforms ranging from racing sailboats to public safety vehicles. 

“We are very proud of the positive market response to our ThalesLINK products,” said Mike Sheehan, president and CEO of Thales Defense and Security. “The new 200 series of products have been highly anticipated by our partners, and we are excited to continue to exceed expectations.”

“TheVesseLINK 200 and MissionLINK 200 deliver a unique size and performance combination that allow more customers to access reliability connectivity in the maritime and land markets,” said Bryan Hartin, executive vice president of sales and marketing at Iridium. “Thales is a highly valued Iridium partner and our long-standing relationship enables us to continue innovating together to create the highest quality products that work anywhere in the world.”

These new ThalesLINK 200 solutions have undergone rigorous testing and validation by both Thales and Iridium, as well as six Official Beta Partners that distribute L-band satellite communications solutions for a variety of land and sea missions. The tests reportedly exceeded expectations and are now available through an exclusive network of 19 official partners.