Iridium Satellite LLC., Tempe, Arizona, was awarded a non-competitive, firm-fixed-price contract modification (P00013) for the extension of services on the current Airtime contract (HC104714C4000). The face value of this action is $8,836,000 funded by fiscal year 2019 defense working capital funds. The total cumulative face value of the contract is $478,194,000. Performance will be at the contractor's facility. The original solicitation was issued on the basis of other than full and open competition pursuant to 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(1), only one responsible source and no other type of supplies or services would satisfy agency requirements. The period of performance is July 22, 2019, through August 21, 2019.
satellite communications
October 1, 2018
Future U.S. Army regionally aligned forces will benefit from experiences—and solutions—discovered during last year’s integration with the U.S. Army Europe communications network. Although their communicators expected to hit the ground running when they arrived in theater, integrating tactical communications systems was more difficult than expected. Fortunately, new technology and soldiers’ know-how not only solved the immediate problems but also set the stage for easier communications integration in the future.
August 9, 2017
The Russian military has been using a clever—and lethal—propaganda technique against Ukrainian soldiers. They spam the soldiers’ cellphones with demoralizing messages and then take advantage of the resulting confusion to geolocate the soldiers’ cellphone signals and launch an attack.
Gen. Baker: You're never going to be able to emulate [in training] the gut-wrenching emotions of Russian-style messaging.#AFCEATechNet
— George Seffers (@gseffers) August 9, 2017
April 24, 2017
XTAR LLC, Ashburn, Virginia, has announced that it has been selected once again by the U.S. Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) to supply X-band satellite bandwidth for the MQ-4C Triton unmanned aircraft system. The blanket purchase agreement has a ceiling of $9.8 million and consists of a one-year base with four one-year options. Designed and manufactured by Northrop Grumman for the U.S. Navy, the MQ-4C is intended to provide real-time intelligence and reconnaissance in a maritime environment.
October 31, 2016
L-3 Communications Corp., Communication Systems West, Salt Lake City, Utah, was awarded a $499,987,656 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for common data link and satellite communications support services. Bids were solicited via the Internet with one received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of October 31, 2021. The Army Contracting Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, is the contracting activity (W56KGY-17-D-0001).
September 16, 2016
CACI National Security Solutions Inc., Reston, Virginia, is being awarded a $77,038,543 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, cost-plus-fixed-fee, performance-based contract (N65236-16-D-8011) for Special Operations communications systems (SOCS) satellite communications (SATCOM) and network support services (NSS). Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center Atlantic has been tasked to provide SOCS SATCOM NSS in support of U.S. Special Operations Command and other joint warfighting commands. The scope of work includes worldwide technical and logistics support for approximately 2,500 deployable SATCOM systems, and supporting wide area network infrastructure distributed over approximately 90 sites.
September 6, 2016
The Boeing Co., Colorado Springs, Colorado, was awarded a $46,216,088 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract to support the Wideband Satellite Communications Operational Management System. Bids were solicited via the Internet with one received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of September 1, 2021. The Army Contracting Command, Rock Island, Illinois, is the contracting activity (W52P1J-16-D-0079).
June 3, 2016
ViaSat Inc., Carlsbad, California, was awarded a non-competitive, firm-fixed-price contract to provide senior leaders and their support staff with Ku-band and Ka-band communications utilizing ViaSat subscription service while travelling via aircraft.
February 26, 2016
Harris Corp., Melbourne, Florida, is being awarded a $10,276,458 modification to a previously awarded, firm-fixed-price contract (N00039-13-C-0001) to exercise an option for Commercial Broadband Satellite Program systems, including two Force Level Variant (FLV) dynamic shipboard systems, three FLV dual antenna/dual channel systems and one FLV dynamic shipboard system with radar cross-section reduction. Work will be performed in Melbourne, Florida, and is expected to be completed by January 30, 2017.
November 30, 2015
The U.S. military and the Australian Defense Force noted improved connectivity while testing an advanced Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) waveform technology during the Talisman Sabre 2015 joint training exercise, according to news statements.
The militaries tested a high-performance IP satellite broadband system developed by Hughes Network Systems LLC. The HX System is designed for carrier-grade IP broadband for maritime, air and ground-based mobile networks and video, voice and data trunking for mesh networks.
September 2, 2015
The U.S. Navy’s fourth Mobile User Objective System (MUOS-4) satellite is talking from space to the satellite control team at the Naval Spacecraft Operations Control facility after its Florida launch this morning. MUOS-4 will enable near-global coverage for a new secure military communications network offering enhanced capabilities for mobile forces.
August 1, 2015
The U.S. Army is evolving and positioning its fleet of ground satellite communications terminals to ensure that units can successfully respond to multiple military or humanitarian contingencies anywhere in the world. Both commercial and military satellites are giving the Army greater flexibility in networking links and in the missions that can be conducted with network connectivity.
June 1, 2015
Boeing Service Co., Richardson, Texas, was awarded a $15,008,500 sole-source, firm-fixed-price contract to provide airborne broadband satellite communications enterprise service for U.S. senior leaders conducting official travel on Air Mobility Command and Air Combat Command aircraft fleets. Work will be performed primarily at Boeing and their subcontractor's facilities worldwide with an estimated completion date of Sept. 30, 2015, with six one-year option periods. Fiscal 2015 operations and maintenance funding is being obligated at award. The Defense Information Technology Contracting Organization, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, is the contracting activity (HC1013-15-C-0006).
November 17, 2014
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc., Poway, California, was awarded an undefinitized contract action not to exceed $17,120,120 modification (P00028) to fixed-price incentive contract W58RGZ-12-C-0057 for 16 universal upgrade kits to the existing dual carrier satellite communications ground data terminal and the required integration support. Fiscal 2014 other procurement funds in the amount of $8,300,000 were obligated at the time of the award. With this modification, the cumulative total of the contract is $501,200,869. Estimated completion date is Aug.
November 12, 2014
AIS Engineering Incorporated (AIS) has announced it was awarded contract HC1013-14-F-0038 (CTC0195) for commercial satellite communications transponded capacity to provide bandwidth for the Joint Satellite Engineering Center for the project manager Warfighter Information Network-Tactical (PM WIN-T). AIS will be providing the satellite capacity together with SES Government Solutions. The task order is valued at more than $50 million over the life of the contract. The Future Commercial SATCOM Acquisition program is managed by the General Services Administration in partnership with the Defense Information Systems Agency.
September 5, 2014
L3 Global Communications Solutions Incorporated, Victor, New York, was awarded an $8,402,031 undefinitized contract action for sustainment of the Army's existing combat services support, for very small aperture terminal transmission systems and satellite communications terminals. The Army Contract Command, Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois, is the contracting activity (W52P1J-14-C-0057).
June 9, 2014
SES Government Solutions, McLean Virginia, has been awarded an $8,245,160 firm-fixed-price contract for the purchase of commercial on-orbit transponders to support Ku-band communications for U.S. Africa Command and operations and sustainment support for a base year and four one-year options. Work will be performed at Ramstein Air Base, Germany and the western portion of Africa, and is expected to be complete by Aug. 5, 2019. The Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles Air Force Base, California is the contracting activity (FA8808-14-C-0001).
June 2, 2014
Lockheed Martin Space Systems Center, Sunnyvale, California, has been awarded a $41,206,525 modification (P00075) to FA8810-08-C-0002 for the Highly Elliptical Orbit (HEO) Transition to Operations. The total cumulative face value of the contract is $3,214,926,620. The contract modification is to add HEO-4 launch and early on-orbit test (LEOT) capabilities to the HEO-3 LEOT baseline. This HEO 3/4 transition concept of operations is required to support the HEO 3/4 payloads transition to the Increment 2 operational baseline. The Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles, California, is the contracting activity.
May 23, 2014
ViaSat Incorporated, Carlsbad, California, was awarded a $30,641,786 firm-fixed-price, multi-year contract for Enhanced Bandwidth Efficient Modem (EBEM) production and support to include: (1) fabrication and production delivery of: a. MD-1366(U) Strategic EBEM; b. MD-1366A(U), tactical EBEM; c. ethernet service expansion module; (2) post production software support; (3) hardware maintenance repair; (4) potential capabilities enhancement(s) via engineering change proposals. Army Contracting Command, Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois, is the contracting activity (W52P1J-14-D-0056).
March 14, 2014
DRS Technical Services Inc., Herndon, Va., was awarded a $30,271,266 hybrid firm-fixed price, cost-plus fixed-fee and cost reimbursable multi-year contract to operate control and maintain satellite communications between the continental United States and worldwide locations. It will also provide help desk and field operations support. Work will be performed in Rock Island, Ill., Afghanistan, Kuwait, and Germany. Army Contracting Command, Rock Island, Ill., is the contracting activity (W52P1J-14-C-0026).
