{
  "id": "aehf",
  "name": "Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF)",
  "aliases": [
    "Advanced EHF"
  ],
  "domain": "space",
  "country": "USA",
  "category": "Protected military communications constellation",
  "status": "in-service",
  "fielded": 2015,
  "operators": [
    "USA"
  ],
  "summary": "Survivable, jam-resistant satellite communications for strategic and tactical forces, including nuclear command and control; successor to Milstar.",
  "specs": [
    {
      "k": "mission",
      "v": "Protected, anti-jam EHF/SHF communications; 24-hour coverage 65°N to 65°S",
      "src": [
        "asf-aehf"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    },
    {
      "k": "orbit_regime",
      "v": "GEO",
      "src": [
        "asf-aehf"
      ],
      "conf": "high"
    },
    {
      "k": "sats_count",
      "v": 6,
      "src": [
        "asf-aehf"
      ],
      "conf": "medium",
      "note": "SV-1 (2010) to SV-6 (2020)"
    },
    {
      "k": "first_launch",
      "v": 2010,
      "src": [
        "asf-aehf"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    },
    {
      "k": "design_life_yr",
      "v": 14,
      "src": [
        "asf-aehf"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    },
    {
      "k": "mass_kg",
      "v": 6078,
      "src": [
        "asf-aehf"
      ],
      "conf": "medium",
      "note": "13,400 lb"
    },
    {
      "k": "power_w",
      "v": 20000,
      "src": [
        "asf-aehf"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    },
    {
      "k": "contractor",
      "v": "Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman",
      "src": [
        "asf-aehf"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    },
    {
      "k": "program",
      "v": "Constellation completed August 2020; Evolved Strategic SATCOM to replace it for nuclear C2 from the early 2030s; Protected Tactical SATCOM for contested tactical use",
      "src": [
        "asf-aehf"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    },
    {
      "k": "on_orbit",
      "v": 6,
      "src": [
        "celestrak-gp"
      ],
      "conf": "high",
      "note": "Payloads with current element sets in the public catalog, active or not."
    },
    {
      "k": "active_sats",
      "v": 6,
      "src": [
        "celestrak-gp"
      ],
      "conf": "medium",
      "note": "Count in the CelesTrak active satellites list, which estimates operational status."
    },
    {
      "k": "perigee_km",
      "v": [
        35387,
        35772
      ],
      "src": [
        "celestrak-gp"
      ],
      "conf": "high",
      "note": "Active satellites per CelesTrak, element epoch about 2026-11-08."
    },
    {
      "k": "apogee_km",
      "v": [
        35801,
        36185
      ],
      "src": [
        "celestrak-gp"
      ],
      "conf": "high",
      "note": "Active satellites per CelesTrak, element epoch about 2026-11-08."
    },
    {
      "k": "period_min",
      "v": [
        1436,
        1436.1
      ],
      "src": [
        "celestrak-gp"
      ],
      "conf": "high",
      "note": "Active satellites per CelesTrak, element epoch about 2026-11-08."
    },
    {
      "k": "inclination_deg",
      "v": [
        1.37,
        8.58
      ],
      "src": [
        "celestrak-gp"
      ],
      "conf": "high",
      "note": "Active satellites per CelesTrak, element epoch about 2026-11-08."
    }
  ],
  "payloads": [],
  "variants": [],
  "art": "satellite",
  "image": {
    "file": "aehf.jpg",
    "thumb": "aehf-thumb.jpg",
    "credit": "Courtesy photo, U.S. Department of Defense / DVIDS",
    "license": "Public domain",
    "url": "https://www.dvidshub.net/image/9147705",
    "title": "Advanced Extremely High Frequency Satellite System Provides Secure Military Communications",
    "source": "DVIDS",
    "dvids_id": 9147705,
    "unit": "War.gov"
  },
  "verified": null,
  "changelog": [
    {
      "date": "2026-11-08",
      "change": "Entry created from cited open sources"
    },
    {
      "date": "2026-11-08",
      "change": "Orbital elements from CelesTrak GP data (epoch about 2026-11-08): 6 catalogued, 6 active."
    }
  ],
  "satellites": [
    {
      "name": "AEHF-1 (USA 214)",
      "norad": 36868,
      "cospar": "2010-039A",
      "perigee_km": 35768,
      "apogee_km": 35802,
      "inclination_deg": 8.58,
      "period_min": 1436,
      "epoch": "2026-11-08",
      "active": true,
      "owner": "US",
      "launch": "2010-08-14"
    },
    {
      "name": "AEHF-2 (USA 235)",
      "norad": 38254,
      "cospar": "2012-019A",
      "perigee_km": 35772,
      "apogee_km": 35801,
      "inclination_deg": 6.98,
      "period_min": 1436.1,
      "epoch": "2026-11-08",
      "active": true,
      "owner": "US",
      "launch": "2012-05-04"
    },
    {
      "name": "AEHF-3 (USA 246)",
      "norad": 39256,
      "cospar": "2013-050A",
      "perigee_km": 35387,
      "apogee_km": 36185,
      "inclination_deg": 5.64,
      "period_min": 1436.1,
      "epoch": "2026-11-08",
      "active": true,
      "owner": "US",
      "launch": "2013-09-18"
    },
    {
      "name": "AEHF-4 (USA 288)",
      "norad": 43651,
      "cospar": "2018-079A",
      "perigee_km": 35492,
      "apogee_km": 36081,
      "inclination_deg": 1.43,
      "period_min": 1436.1,
      "epoch": "2026-11-08",
      "active": true,
      "owner": "US",
      "launch": "2018-10-17"
    },
    {
      "name": "AEHF-5 (USA 292)",
      "norad": 44481,
      "cospar": "2019-051A",
      "perigee_km": 35656,
      "apogee_km": 35916,
      "inclination_deg": 1.37,
      "period_min": 1436.1,
      "epoch": "2026-11-08",
      "active": true,
      "owner": "US",
      "launch": "2019-08-08"
    },
    {
      "name": "AEHF-6 (USA 298)",
      "norad": 45465,
      "cospar": "2020-022B",
      "perigee_km": 35595,
      "apogee_km": 35978,
      "inclination_deg": 2.25,
      "period_min": 1436.1,
      "epoch": "2026-11-08",
      "active": true,
      "owner": "US",
      "launch": "2020-03-26"
    }
  ],
  "url": "https://www.defensepedia.com/systems/aehf.html",
  "sources": {
    "asf-aehf": {
      "title": "Advanced Extremely High Frequency Satellite System (weapons and platforms entry)",
      "publisher": "Air & Space Forces Magazine",
      "url": "https://www.airandspaceforces.com/weapons/aehf/",
      "published": null,
      "tier": 3,
      "checked": "2026-11-08"
    },
    "celestrak-gp": {
      "title": "NORAD GP element sets (current data)",
      "publisher": "CelesTrak (data from the U.S. Space Force 18th/19th Space Defense Squadron catalog)",
      "url": "https://celestrak.org/NORAD/elements/",
      "published": "2026-11-08",
      "tier": 1,
      "checked": "2026-11-08"
    }
  }
}