Viasat expands SATCOM business with US Marine Corps contract
Viasat's SATCOM service will support marine expeditionary units at the tactical edge. (Photo: USN)
The Viasat contract for SATCOM as a Managed Service is the first commercial offering of its kind implemented by a USMC command.
Viasat announced on 24 January that it was awarded a contract to provide end-to-end SATCOM support as a managed service to the USMC. This follows a successful pilot and follow-on service programme in FY2022 under which Viasat delivered a SATCOM as a Managed Service (SaaMS) solution to I Marine Expeditionary Force (I MEF).
This represents the first commercially developed SaaMS implemented by a USMC command.
It equips I MEF with a beyond-line-of-sight communications capability that is scalable and deployable to meet contract and operational requirements. The SaaMS capability supports exercises, marine expeditionary units and stand in force rotational deployments with on-demand connectivity and data transport.
Related Articles
Long game puts Hughes in contention for US Army SATCOM spoils
Viasat awarded $99 million order for US Navy tactical radios
US Marine Corps selects Silvus radios for ground vehicle comms
Craig Miller, president of Viasat Government Systems, said 'This is a modern SATCOM service that is designed to deliver the performance, flexibility and rapid deployment capability marine expeditionary forces need – supporting operational readiness and enabling the USMC to easily leverage surge capacity for specific mission needs.'
The SaaMS offers seamless roaming and always-on access across commercial high-capacity networks.
Supported by a network operations centre and security operations centre, the turnkey service will provide the USMC with terminal inventory management, network performance monitoring, cyber security, and cyber defence, as well as engineering, training and logistics support.
More from Digital Battlespace
-
![EU Commission invites tenders for new satellite constellation with military applications]()
EU Commission invites tenders for new satellite constellation with military applications
The European Commission has launched an invitation tender for a contract to implement the EU satellite constellation dubbed IRIS² (Infrastructure for Resilience, Interconnectivity and Security by Satellite).
-
![New US developer LightRidge to take on air and space sensor markets]()
New US developer LightRidge to take on air and space sensor markets
The private-equity backed firm combines the businesses of space payloads specialist GEOST and airborne sensor manufacturer Ophir.
-
![Northrop Grumman details bid for US Navy TACAMO aircraft replacement]()
Northrop Grumman details bid for US Navy TACAMO aircraft replacement
The company believes its role as prime contractor on the E-2 Hawkeye puts it in a strong position for the programme to replace the USN's Boeing E-6 Mercury fleet.
-
![Northrop Grumman hones US Space Force satellite design in virtual environment]()
Northrop Grumman hones US Space Force satellite design in virtual environment
The company has applied its Highly Immersive Virtual Environment technology to the design process of polar overwatch satellites ordered by the US Space Force.
-
![Northrop Grumman joins USAF effort to build digital network backbone]()
Northrop Grumman joins USAF effort to build digital network backbone
The company will join Phase 1 of the Common Tactical Edge Network effort to enable Joint All-Domain Command and Control (JADC2).
