Name: Role of the ionosphere and space weather in military communications
Start: 2026-11-23T08:40:00+01:00
End: 2026-11-25T16:00:00+01:00
Location: Royal Observatory of Belgium - Directors Building

Role of the ionosphere and space weather in military communications

from Monday, November 23, 2026 (8:40 AM) to Wednesday, November 25, 2026 (4:00 PM)

Monday, November 23, 2026

8:45 AM Welcome coffee
Welcome coffee
8:45 AM - 9:00 AM

9:00 AM Welcome and round of the participants
Welcome and round of the participants
9:00 AM - 9:30 AM
9:30 AM Appetizer - Petra Vanlommel (STCE)
Appetizer
- Petra Vanlommel (STCE)
9:30 AM - 10:00 AM
What HF can commonly do SWx: Case study impact on HF radio comm - Tobias SWx: Case study of SATcom - Petra
10:00 AM 10 min break
10 min break
10:00 AM - 10:10 AM
10:10 AM Radio waves & plasma - Tobias Verhulst (RMI)
Radio waves & plasma
- Tobias Verhulst (RMI)
10:10 AM - 10:55 AM
10:55 AM Exercise
Exercise
10:55 AM - 11:10 AM
11:10 AM Large scale picture of spheres around Earth - Petra Vanlommel (STCE)
Large scale picture of spheres around Earth
- Petra Vanlommel (STCE)
11:10 AM - 11:40 AM
11:40 AM visit to the solar dome
visit to the solar dome
11:40 AM - 12:00 PM

12:00 PM Lunch
Lunch
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
1:00 PM Structure of the mid-latitude ionosphere - Tobias Verhulst (RMI)
Structure of the mid-latitude ionosphere
- Tobias Verhulst (RMI)
1:00 PM - 1:45 PM
1:45 PM Exercise
Exercise
1:45 PM - 2:00 PM

2:00 PM 10 min break
10 min break
2:00 PM - 2:10 PM
2:10 PM Mid-latitude ionospheric climate & weather - Tobias Verhulst (RMI)
Mid-latitude ionospheric climate & weather
- Tobias Verhulst (RMI)
2:10 PM - 3:05 PM
3:05 PM Exercise
Exercise
3:05 PM - 3:25 PM

3:25 PM Wrap up and overshoot time
Wrap up and overshoot time
3:25 PM - 4:00 PM
Tuesday, November 24, 2026

8:45 AM Welcome coffee
Welcome coffee
8:45 AM - 9:00 AM
9:00 AM Warm up - Communication with HF - Tobias Verhulst (RMI)
Warm up - Communication with HF
- Tobias Verhulst (RMI)
9:00 AM - 9:20 AM
9:20 AM Solar drivers (flare, solar wind, particles) of ionospheric weather - Petra Vanlommel (STCE)
Solar drivers (flare, solar wind, particles) of ionospheric weather
- Petra Vanlommel (STCE)
9:20 AM - 10:00 AM
10:00 AM Bottom-side drivers of ionospheric weather & mid-latitude impacts - Tobias Verhulst (RMI)
Bottom-side drivers of ionospheric weather & mid-latitude impacts
- Tobias Verhulst (RMI)
10:00 AM - 10:30 AM
10:30 AM Exercise
Exercise
10:30 AM - 10:50 AM
10:50 AM High & low latitude ionosphere - Tobias Verhulst (RMI)
High & low latitude ionosphere
- Tobias Verhulst (RMI)
10:50 AM - 11:45 AM
11:45 AM Exercise
Exercise
11:45 AM - 12:00 PM

12:00 PM Lunch
Lunch
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
1:00 PM Radio communication, lower frequency bands, part 1 - Dries Van Baelen (Mil.be)
Radio communication, lower frequency bands, part 1
- Dries Van Baelen (Mil.be)
1:00 PM - 1:50 PM
1:50 PM break
break
1:50 PM - 2:00 PM
2:00 PM Radio communication, lower frequency bands, part 2 - Dries Van Baelen
Radio communication, lower frequency bands, part 2
- Dries Van Baelen
2:00 PM - 2:50 PM
2:50 PM Break
Break
2:50 PM - 3:00 PM
3:00 PM Radio Communication, higher frequency bands - Antonio Martinez (KSB)
Radio Communication, higher frequency bands
- Antonio Martinez (KSB)
3:00 PM - 4:00 PM
4:00 PM wrap up
wrap up
4:00 PM - 4:15 PM
Wednesday, November 25, 2026

8:45 AM Welcome coffee
Welcome coffee
8:45 AM - 9:00 AM

9:00 AM Warm up exercise
Warm up exercise
9:00 AM - 9:15 AM
9:15 AM Solar radio bursts - Christophe Marqué (STCE)
Solar radio bursts
- Christophe Marqué (STCE)
9:15 AM - 10:10 AM
10:10 AM Exercise
Exercise
10:10 AM - 10:25 AM

10:25 AM Visit of the Space Weather Room
Visit of the Space Weather Room
10:25 AM - 10:45 AM
10:45 AM Extreme events and impacts - Jan Janssens (STCE)
Extreme events and impacts
- Jan Janssens (STCE)
10:45 AM - 11:40 AM
11:40 AM Exercise
Exercise
11:40 AM - 12:00 PM

12:00 PM Lunch
Lunch
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
1:00 PM Monitoring the ionosphere - Tobias Verhulst (RMI) Jean-Marie Chevalier (ROB, STCE)
Monitoring the ionosphere
- Tobias Verhulst (RMI)
- Jean-Marie Chevalier (ROB, STCE)
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
2:00 PM Exercise
Exercise
2:00 PM - 2:20 PM
2:20 PM Practical tools and resources, dashboard (including drivers) - Elke D'Huys (STCE)
Practical tools and resources, dashboard (including drivers)
- Elke D'Huys (STCE)
2:20 PM - 3:10 PM
3:10 PM Feedback & Wrap up
Feedback & Wrap up
3:10 PM - 3:30 PM