Stevens Aerospace and Defense Systems and Peregrine are partnering to develop a supplemental type certificate (STC) for installation of the Gogo Galileo low-earth-orbit (LEO) satcom system in King Air 200 and 300 twin turboprops. The STC will include installation of Gogo’s HDX electronically steered antenna, the smaller of two antennas that Gogo will offer for its upcoming Galileo service that runs on Eutelsat’s OneWeb LEO satellite network.
The Galileo system and HDX antenna can be added to existing Gogo air-to-ground (ATG) connectivity systems (Avance L3, L5, and SCS) “with minimal disruption,” according to Gogo Business Aviation.
The OneWeb LEO network works anywhere in the world (although there are some country restrictions that apply to all satcom networks) and from the ground, without restrictions that prevent ATG systems from operating until a certain altitude is reached. System speed with the HDX antenna is expected to reach up to 60 Mbps download and 11 Mbps upload. Gogo plans to begin Galileo service by the end of this year.
Stevens expects the King Air STC to be issued by the FAA next year so installations can begin in the fourth quarter of 2025. EASA and Transport Canada validations should be available at the same time.