Session 3.2 Expo Session: From Capacity to Capability: Integrating Commercial LEO into Military Satellite Networks
Tracks
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| Thursday, November 19, 2026 |
| 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM |
| Royal Theatre |
Presentation Outline
Across Australia and its coalition partners, the conversation around military satellite communications is shifting. The question is less about whether commercial capacity has a role in the architecture, and more about how commercial, legacy, and allied systems can be integrated into a hybrid network that holds up when links are contested, demand surges, and forces are dispersed across the Indo-Pacific.
Amazon Leo Government's Steve Hopp will look at the operational role of a proliferated LEO layer within that architecture — an additional connectivity option that creates more routes for mission data, more flexibility in how services reach the tactical edge, and more resilience when parts of the network are degraded or denied.
The session will focus on what makes that promise real in practice: integration and interoperability with ADF and coalition systems before deployment; security that extends from the terminal through the network; and acquisition and service models that let programme managers and commanders close connectivity gaps on operational timelines — not procurement ones.
Speaker
Mr Steve Hopp
Sr Product Manager - International
Amazon Leo for Government
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Biography
As Senior Technical Product Manager for Amazon Leo Government, Steve Hopp plays a critical role in leading Products Management for Amazon Leo’s international customers, utilizing over 20 years’ experience developing and leading high-consequence U.S. and International SATCOM Programs in dynamic and challenging environments.
Prior to Amazon Leo, Steve worked as the edge compute Products Manager at Cubic Defense, Satellite Products Manager at NAL Research and 15 years at Raytheon Blackbird as the deployed Program Manager for the Steve Hopp Senior Technical Product Manager Afghan National Tracking System supporting Afghan SOF, USSOCOM, and partner nations forces. His experience leading multi-national teams and developing, deploying, and managing international technical support programs make him integral to accomplishing Amazon Leo’s international missions.
Steve is a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps, where he served as USMC infantry NCO. He has also participated in several academic programs, including business management from the University of Maryland, executive development from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, and the United States Fire Academy.
Prior to Amazon Leo, Steve worked as the edge compute Products Manager at Cubic Defense, Satellite Products Manager at NAL Research and 15 years at Raytheon Blackbird as the deployed Program Manager for the Steve Hopp Senior Technical Product Manager Afghan National Tracking System supporting Afghan SOF, USSOCOM, and partner nations forces. His experience leading multi-national teams and developing, deploying, and managing international technical support programs make him integral to accomplishing Amazon Leo’s international missions.
Steve is a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps, where he served as USMC infantry NCO. He has also participated in several academic programs, including business management from the University of Maryland, executive development from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, and the United States Fire Academy.
