Government/Military

[Satellite Today 04-16-09] Comtech EF Data Corp. won a $2.1 million order from the U.S. military for satellite communications equipment that will be used to upgrade existing battlefield systems to operate on the Wideband Global Satcom (WGS) system, Comtech announced April 15.     The order includes Comtech’s DMD2050 satellite modem, a universal satellite modem suited...

[Satellite Today 04-15-09] German satellite imagery provider RapidEye entered into a partnership which names U.S. distributor MakaLani as RapidEye’s imagery reseller for U.S. government, military and homeland security customers, RapidEye announced April 14.     The move marks RapidEye’s official entry into the U.S. government market.     “The common vision of our partnership will help us...

[Satellite Today 04-15-09] TeleCommunication Systems Inc. (TCS) received a $14.9 million contract order from the U.S. Army to provide transportable ground receive suites and related spare parts to support the Army’s Global Broadcast Service (GBS), TCS announced April 14.     TCS said shipments are expected to begin in the fourth quarter and continue through the...

[Satellite Today 04-14-09]  Swe-Dish Satellite Systems was granted U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) licenses for its Drive-Away CCT120 and SuitcasexAE terminals, Swe-Dish announced April 13.     The licenses authorize the Swe-Dish terminals for all U.S.-licensed satellites listed on the FCC’s permitted space station list, enabling the Stockholm-based company to deploy its systems for U.S. customers....

[Satellite Today 04-13-09] A team led by Lockheed Martin has submitted its proposal for the Space-Based Infrared System’s (SBIRS) program’s follow-on production phase and has completed the preliminary design review with the U.S. Air Force, Lockheed Martin announced April 10.     The SBIRS follow-on program, which will complete the SBIRS constellation, will add the third...

[Satellite Today 04-13-09] Harris Corp. has won a $150 million contract from the U.S. Army for the supply of additional wideband tactical satellite radio systems, Harris announced April 10.     Harris’ RF communications division will provide the Army with AN/PRC-117G multiband manpack radios, related spare parts and support services, according to the U.S. Department of...

[Satellite Today 04-10-09] Northrop Grumman completed the first series of cryogenic temperature tests on the mirror segment that will fly on the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), a next-generation space observatory, the company announced April 9.     Northrop Grumman is the prime contractor for the telescope, leading a design and development team under contract to...

[Satellite News 04-09-09] For the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA), the inevitable transition to an IP-based military satellite communications system has been disruptive for the military, according to DISA Principal Director, Richard Williams, who spoke on a panel of executives in charge of military IP applications in Washington D.C.     "The breakthroughs in the speed...

[Satellite Today 04-08-09] The U.S. Army ordered a MobiLinkx2122 communications on-the-move (COTM) system from DataPath that will be deployed in support of battlefield operations, DataPath announced April 7.     The Army procured eight additional COTM systems, along with field technical support and other services from DataPath through exercised options under an existing delivery order worth...

[Satellite News 04-08-09] As part of a restructuring of U.S. defense spending in the 2010 U.S. federal budget, U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates has recommended the termination of the U.S. Air Force’s $26 billion Transformational Satellite (TSAT) program, the White House announced April 6.     According to a transcript of Gates’ statement on the White...