Here at Cubic|GATR, we design and build the world’s only Inflatable Satellite Antennas (ISA). Our cause is to connect people and enable communications in the most challenging conditions on Earth. When we support disaster relief efforts with partner NGOs, such as the aftermath of Hurricane Dorian, we deliver hope. When we support our Warfighters, we deliver confidence. The ISA advances this cause by transforming the portability of the traditional parabolic antenna and enabling people to communicate during times when they need it the most. Our inflatable design allows our customers to reduce the burden of transporting their communications gear so they can instead focus on carrying other important and potentially life-saving equipment and supplies.
The U.S. Army recognized this revolution in portability and has accelerated the delivery of this important capability. Cubic|GATR’s 1.2 meter ISA, in particular, has become an important part of the Army’s portfolio of SATCOM terminals. This is best illustrated by the recent completion of the 1,000th 1.2m ISA ever built – serial number 1.2-1000. And the road to 1.2-1000 wasn’t easy.
As the previous Program Manager for the Transportable Tactical Command Communications (T2C2) program at Cubic, I was privileged to have a front row seat and witnessed the evolution and expansion of our entire business unit. Our people exemplify the Cubic Vision to Win the Customer and Live One Cubic. The entire One Cubic team commitment has been demonstrated by countless hours of engineering, manufacturing, and improvements to quality assurance. In 2016, we moved engineering and administration into a new location. In 2017, we broke ground on a new production facility. In 2018, we moved into the new production facility and adopted two One Cubic systems: a new Material Requirements Planning (MRP) system and the One Cubic Quality Management System (QMS). These changes ushered in a more systematic approach to our production line and quality assurance processes and helped establish a mindset of continuous improvement. Most recently, in 2019, the Huntsville-based engineering team migrated from a legacy Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) tool to a modern, more integrated data platform. This migration required extensive training and overtime to ensure the data migrations were successful. It also completely changed the way we manage the entire cradle-to-grave lifecycle of our products. And while we’ve come a long way, we also recognize that improvement isn’t a destination; improvement is a continuous journey. The trust of our Customers requires that we remain committed to our ideals and tirelessly pursue excellence.
These improvements were crucial to ensure we deliver a capability that meets our Customers’ commitment to us. But the improvements would not be possible without the commitment from our team who endured countless hours and sacrificed for the belief that our Customers are worth it. Looking back, it is truly amazing to see how far we’ve come. Prior to the Army’s substantial commitment to Cubic|GATR systems, our maximum production capacity yielded one to two antennas per day. Due to our strong relationship with the U.S. Army, the team responded with a dramatic increase in our production capacity which has now reached 10 antennas per day. This acceleration in production was made possible by the company’s significant investments in our team. It was also made possible by an incredible effort from our people in procurement, production, and quality who continually demonstrate that they are ALL IN to meet our commitments. Every antenna we produce is touched by a group of professionals who have overcome significant hurdles and pressing deadlines to deliver the ISA to our customers.
We believe in our cause. We believe in our commitments. And we believe in our people. These beliefs have propelled a once small start-up into an operation easily capable of producing more than 1,000 antennas in a single year; something unthinkable just three short years ago. To our team that works so hard every day – you inspire me. Thank you for all you do.
So here’s to 1.2-1000, the next 1,000 antennas we build, and beyond. May we never lose sight of our people and our cause.
