WASHINGTON — SES Space & Defense, the U.S. arm of Luxembourg-based satellite operator SES, secured a $46.8 million contract to provide satellite communication services to the U.S. Air Force, the company announced July 31.
The multi-year contract, awarded by the U.S. Air Force’s Air Combat Command, is for geostationary (GEO) Ku-band satellite communications services for the command’s remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) training and testing program.
SES, which operates a fleet of over 70 satellites in geostationary and medium Earth orbits, will utilize GEO high-throughput satellites to provide ground-to-air and air-to-ground transmissions coverage. The service area will span the continental United States, Hawaii, Alaska, and the Pacific Ocean.
The contract also includes provisions for network management and monitoring support.
The Air Combat Command’s RPA training and testing program is designed to prepare pilots for missions and combat scenarios, with the aim of equipping them to operate in both national and international airspace.
Sandra Erwin writes about military space programs, policy, technology and the industry that supports this sector. She has covered the military, the Pentagon, Congress and the defense industry for nearly two decades as editor of NDIA’s National Defense…
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