The Pentagon, headquarters for the U.S. Department of Defense. Photo: DOD.

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. has been awarded a contract for satellite bandwidth utilization services for the U.S. Space Force (USSF). Kratos plans to provide continuous monitoring services of commercial satellites leased by the USSF. The base year of the sole-source contract is valued at about $3 million, and if all four option years are exercised, the total value will be $19 million.

Specifically, Kratos plans to provide continuous near-real-time performance monitoring data and bandwidth utilization assessment Radio Frequency (RF) monitoring services. Kratos will monitor the strength and characteristics of the signal, not the content. Bandwidth monitoring and utilization assessment and reporting services are required across all commercial satellites that are leased globally by the USSF.

“The data collected from Kratos’ global sensor network will enable the U.S. Space Force to understand their usage of commercial satellite communications and inform future acquisition strategies,” said Frank Backes, Kratos Federal Space Group senior vice president.