A laboratory to test radio terminals for connecting with the military's Mobile User Objective System has been opened in Arizona by General Dynamics C4 Systems.

The Navy-approved facility uses hardware and software that simulate the radio's connectivity with the MUOS ground network and is the second in the country.

"The MUOS Radio Testing Lab in Scottsdale will help the U.S. military and government to cost-effectively and efficiently add MUOS-capable radios to their communications network," said Chris Marzilli, president of General Dynamics C4 Systems. "This brings this critical operational capability even closer to being available to military and government personnel."

MUOS is an array of geosynchronous satellites being developed to provide global connectivity for communications at high rates of speed. The MUOS waveform leverages the widely-used commercial Wideband Code Division Multiple Access cell phone technology. There will be four MUOS satellites in orbit and a spare in orbit when the system is fully operational.

General Dynamics C4 Systems said the first radio terminal being tested at the facility is the ARC-210 from Rockwell Collins, which entered the testing program following its approval by the Navy.