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, 23 November 2026 (08:40) to Wednesday, 25 November 2026 (16:00)

Monday, 23 November 2026

08:45 Welcome coffee
Welcome coffee
08:45 - 09:00

09:00 Welcome and round of the participants
Welcome and round of the participants
09:00 - 09:30
09:30 Appetizer - Petra Vanlommel (STCE)
Appetizer
- Petra Vanlommel (STCE)
09:30 - 10:00
What HF can commonly do SWx: Case study impact on HF radio comm - Tobias SWx: Case study of SATcom - Petra
10:00 10 min break
10 min break
10:00 - 10:10
10:10 Radio waves & plasma - Tobias Verhulst (RMI)
Radio waves & plasma
- Tobias Verhulst (RMI)
10:10 - 10:55
10:55 Exercise
Exercise
10:55 - 11:10
11:10 Large scale picture of spheres around Earth - Petra Vanlommel (STCE)
Large scale picture of spheres around Earth
- Petra Vanlommel (STCE)
11:10 - 11:40
11:40 visit to the solar dome
visit to the solar dome
11:40 - 12:00

12:00 Lunch
Lunch
12:00 - 13:00
13:00 Structure of the mid-latitude ionosphere - Tobias Verhulst (RMI)
Structure of the mid-latitude ionosphere
- Tobias Verhulst (RMI)
13:00 - 13:45
13:45 Exercise
Exercise
13:45 - 14:00

14:00 10 min break
10 min break
14:00 - 14:10
14:10 Mid-latitude ionospheric climate & weather - Tobias Verhulst (RMI)
Mid-latitude ionospheric climate & weather
- Tobias Verhulst (RMI)
14:10 - 15:05
15:05 Exercise
Exercise
15:05 - 15:25

15:25 Wrap up and overshoot time
Wrap up and overshoot time
15:25 - 16:00
Tuesday, 24 November 2026

08:45 Welcome coffee
Welcome coffee
08:45 - 09:00
09:00 Warm up - Communication with HF - Tobias Verhulst (RMI)
Warm up - Communication with HF
- Tobias Verhulst (RMI)
09:00 - 09:20
09:20 Solar drivers (flare, solar wind, particles) of ionospheric weather - Petra Vanlommel (STCE)
Solar drivers (flare, solar wind, particles) of ionospheric weather
- Petra Vanlommel (STCE)
09:20 - 10:00
10:00 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 - 10:30
10:30 Exercise
Exercise
10:30 - 10:50
10:50 High & low latitude ionosphere - Tobias Verhulst (RMI)
High & low latitude ionosphere
- Tobias Verhulst (RMI)
10:50 - 11:45
11:45 Exercise
Exercise
11:45 - 12:00

12:00 Lunch
Lunch
12:00 - 13:00
13:00 Radio communication, lower frequency bands, part 1 - Dries Van Baelen (Mil.be)
Radio communication, lower frequency bands, part 1
- Dries Van Baelen (Mil.be)
13:00 - 13:50
13:50 break
break
13:50 - 14:00
14:00 Radio communication, lower frequency bands, part 2 - Dries Van Baelen
Radio communication, lower frequency bands, part 2
- Dries Van Baelen
14:00 - 14:50
14:50 Break
Break
14:50 - 15:00
15:00 Radio Communication, higher frequency bands - Antonio Martinez (KSB)
Radio Communication, higher frequency bands
- Antonio Martinez (KSB)
15:00 - 16:00
16:00 wrap up
wrap up
16:00 - 16:15
Wednesday, 25 November 2026

08:45 Welcome coffee
Welcome coffee
08:45 - 09:00

09:00 Warm up exercise
Warm up exercise
09:00 - 09:15
09:15 Solar radio bursts - Christophe Marqué (STCE)
Solar radio bursts
- Christophe Marqué (STCE)
09:15 - 10:10
10:10 Exercise
Exercise
10:10 - 10:25

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

12:00 Lunch
Lunch
12:00 - 13:00
13:00 Monitoring the ionosphere - Joshua Dreyer (ROB) Jean-Marie Chevalier (ROB, STCE) Tobias Verhulst (RMI)
Monitoring the ionosphere
- Joshua Dreyer (ROB)
- Jean-Marie Chevalier (ROB, STCE)
- Tobias Verhulst (RMI)
13:00 - 14:00
14:00 Exercise
Exercise
14:00 - 14:20
14:20 Practical tools and resources, dashboard (including drivers) - Elke D'Huys (STCE)
Practical tools and resources, dashboard (including drivers)
- Elke D'Huys (STCE)
14:20 - 15:10
15:10 Feedback & Wrap up
Feedback & Wrap up
15:10 - 15:30