Gilat Defense unveils Viper Ka ESA for unmanned platforms at Eurosatory
Gilat Satellite Networks has announced that its defense division will display the Viper Ka, a new electronically steered antenna (ESA) developed by subsidiary RaySat, at Eurosatory 2026 in Paris. The antenna is designed for tactical unmanned platforms across air, land, and maritime missions, prioritising low size, weight, and power (SWaP) alongside low latency and minimal aerodynamic drag.
The Viper Ka supports simultaneous operation across low Earth orbit (LEO), medium Earth orbit (MEO), and geostationary (GEO) satellite constellations, with dynamic orbit selection based on real-time mission requirements. Gilat says the antenna is compatible with existing Ka-band constellations and is designed to accommodate emerging military and defence-focused satellite networks as they come online.
Product and portfolio context
Gilad Landsberg, President of Gilat Defense, said operational forces are "increasingly dependent on unmanned platforms that require resilient and uninterrupted very low-latency connectivity across highly dynamic operational environments." He positioned the Viper Ka as an addition to an existing ground infrastructure stack that includes software-defined modems, portable and transportable terminals, block upconverters, and network management software.
The Eurosatory showcase expands a portfolio built partly through Gilat's acquisitions of RaySat, Wavestream, DataPath, and Stellar Blu. The company has over three decades of experience in satellite networking and serves both commercial and defence markets, including cellular backhaul, in-flight connectivity, and critical infrastructure clients. No pricing, contract announcements, or named defence customers were included in the release.
Market landscape
The market for tactical SATCOM terminals has accelerated sharply over the past three years, driven by lessons from high-intensity conflicts that demonstrated the operational value of persistent, resilient connectivity for unmanned platforms. ESA technology in particular has attracted significant investment, as phased-array antennas remove the moving-parts reliability risk of traditional mechanically steered dishes and are better suited to the vibration and manoeuvring profiles of unmanned aerial vehicles.
Gilat competes in this segment alongside a number of defence-focused SATCOM integrators and specialist ESA developers, including Viasat, L3Harris, ThinKom Solutions, and a growing group of venture-backed new entrants targeting LEO-compatible terminals. The proliferation of non-geostationary satellite constellations, including military-grade services being developed by several national programmes, is reshaping procurement priorities: buyers now want multi-orbit capability from a single terminal rather than separate hardware for each constellation tier.
Regulatory and export considerations
Defence SATCOM hardware of this nature is subject to export controls under the US International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and, where applicable, EU dual-use regulations. Gilat is dual-listed on NASDAQ and the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange, and its boilerplate disclosure cites geopolitical risk specifically relating to hostilities involving Israel as a material factor for investors. The company did not comment on any export licensing arrangements for the Viper Ka in its release.
The show, running in the Paris region from 23 to 27 June 2026, is one of the principal venues for defence land-systems procurement, and Gilat Defense will be at Hall 6, Booth B280. Near-term milestones to watch include any named programme-of-record wins and the publication of independent performance benchmarks for the antenna's multi-orbit handoff latency.