Warfighters would have significantly greater access to communications and data, once the Navy launches the third of five sophisticated communications satellites Jan. 20. Once fully deployed, the MUOS (Mobile User Objective System) will replace legacy-technology UHF systems. Users at sea, on land and in the air, in essence, would gain quicker access to a wider spectrum of radio and data transmissions from nearly anywhere on earth. The latest launch, of MUOS-3, should expand penetration into hard-to-reach polar regions, for example. Previous iterations of MUOS were launched in 2012 and 2013 and are providing warfighters with what technicians refer to as a “smartphone in space.” A fourth MUOS launch is tentatively scheduled for later this year, further expanding communications capabilities. A fifth MUOS satellite, which would function as a spare, should be ready for a 2016 launch. The MUOS system also encompasses four ground stations, sophisticated software that would manage the network, and a code that functions as an interface among end-user radios. The Navy Program Executive Office for Space Systems (SPAWAR) is managing MUOS, which is being built by Lockheed Martin Space Systems in Littleton, Colo. All MUOS satellites are being launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla.