From defpro.com: As from 28 January 2010, the NATO C3 Agency will get access to the IP Routing in Space (IRIS) capability for measurement and test purposes. The IRIS payload is hosted on-board Intelsat 14, a satellite which was successfully launched on 23 November 2009. NC3A participation is important in determining the military benefits of using the IRIS capability with NATO forces…

The IRIS capability is promising and could enable U.S. and allied military forces to seamlessly and instantly communicate over the satellite IP network from any regions of the world that are covered by any of the satellite beams. Representing the next generation of space-based communications, the on-board routing capability of IRIS offers several distinct advantages over conventional satellite technology. (graphic: NATO)