Boeing said the WGS 4’s communications payload passed test signals through each of the satellite’s 19 antenna beams. The tests also verified the craft’s beam-steering functions. The Air Force military ground control team will finish some additional testing on the satellite and reposition it over the Middle East to enter service this summer.

WGS 4, valued at $464 million, joins three other WGS satellites that form the Pentagon’s worldwide communications network across all branches of the military.

   “This fourth WGS satellite adds substantial capacity and resiliency to the WGS constellation,” Boeing Vice President and General Manager Craig Cooning said in a statement. “The team worked around the clock to ensure that all testing was completed successfully, and that the satellite was healthy and ready for customer handover. We remain committed to the Air Force, the WGS mission and to continuing to support the delivery of this critical enhancement of warfighter communications.”