Boeing wins $440 million contract for 12th Wideband Global SATCOM satellite
Boeing has been building the US Space Force’s Wideband Global SATCOM. (Image: Boeing)
Wideband Global SATCOM (WGS) satellites have been supporting the US DoD’s warfighting information exchange requirements, enabling execution of tactical C4ISR, battlefield management and combat support information.
Boeing will provide US Space Force’s Space Systems Command with a 12th Wideband Global SATCOM communications satellite (WGS-12) under a US$439.6 million contract awarded on 5 March.
The WGS constellation has been designed to deliver high-capacity, secure and resilient communications capabilities in contested jamming environments to the US military and its allies.
The WGS’s responsive, steerable, high-capacity beams will provide assured connectivity via the Protected Tactical Enterprise Service (PTES) ground system. It will also provide enhanced anti-jam communications by combining the US military’s jam-resistant Protected Tactical Waveform with antenna nulling in the Ka band.
WGS satellites have been built on the proven Boeing 702 platform which uses xenon-ion propulsion capability.
The anti-jam capability of Boeing’s Protected Tactical Satcom Prototype payload will be integrated on WGS-12, providing a second Protected Wideband Satellite to the US military, and expanding anti-jam tactical communications capacity for US forces and allies to operate in contested theatres.
WGS-1 and WGS-2 were launched in October 2007 and April 2009. In February 2010 it was announced they had been accepted into service and were meeting or exceeding all mission requirements. The company has been recently building the 11th of the constellation.
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Digital Battlespace
-
![Chess Dynamics successfully demonstrates Vision4ce AI-driven tracker]()
Chess Dynamics successfully demonstrates Vision4ce AI-driven tracker
The Vision4ce Deep Embedded Feature Tracking (DEFT) technology software is designed to process video and images by blending traditional computer vision with artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms to present actionable information from complex environments.
-
![Wave Relay devices cleared for security use on commercial systems in industry trend]()
Wave Relay devices cleared for security use on commercial systems in industry trend
Persistent Systems has been cleared by National Security Agency (NSA) to transmit sensitive data on commercial networks. The devices are added to the NSA’s Commercial Solutions for Classified (CSfC) component list which also includes other companies’ products providing the same security.
-
![UK teases cyber spending boost in Strategic Defence Review ahead of “imminent” release]()
UK teases cyber spending boost in Strategic Defence Review ahead of “imminent” release
The release of the UK’s Strategic Defence Review (SDR) has been long promised as mid-year. It is possible it could be as early as 2 June although the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) continues to play its cards close to its chest.
-
![Intelsat emphasises SATCOM resilience for SOF in contested domains (video)]()
Intelsat emphasises SATCOM resilience for SOF in contested domains (video)
Intelsat outlines how its multi-orbit SATCOM architecture is enhancing connectivity and resilience for special operations forces operating in degraded and contested environments.
-
![US Space Force’s next-generation missile warning system moves forward with $500 million in new contracts]()
US Space Force’s next-generation missile warning system moves forward with $500 million in new contracts
Next-Generation Overhead Persistent Infrared (Next-Gen OPIR) satellites are intended to provide early warning of missile launches from any location worldwide and new ground stations will result in expanded coverage of critical missile warning.
