Colombian Air Force Kfir aircraft prepare for a mission during Red Flag 12-4 July 18, 2012, at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada. Photo: U.S. Air Force/Staff Sgt. William P. Coleman.

The Colombian Ministry of Defense has signed an agreement with Eutelsat for capacity on the Eutelsat 115 West B satellite. The multi-transponder contract, the first between Eutelsat and the Colombian Ministry of Defense, follows the signature of a government-to-government agreement between France and Colombia designed to encourage cooperation in the context of the France-Colombia Year.

The Colombian government will leverage Eutelsat 115 West B over the Andean Region to host Ministry of Defense networks across the country, used by the General Command of the Colombian Military Forces, the Army and the Air Force.

“In the interests of improved organization of the satellite communications networks operated by our defense forces, the Colombian Ministry of Defense decided to seek a single contractor to meet its diverse needs. Of the countries we invited to contend, France, through Eutelsat, presented the best economic and technical proposal, leading us to select Eutelsat 115 West B,” said General Jose Javier Perez Mejia, Colombia’s deputy minister of defense.