Northrop Grumman Corp. has delivered the payload module for the first Advanced Extremely High Frequency (EHF) military communications satellite to prime contractor Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman announced.

The Lockheed Martin-led team is under contract to provide three Advanced EHF satellites and the mission control system, to the U.S. Air Force. The satellites will provide about 10 times more communications capacity and six times higher channel data rates than the Milstar satellites.

In a separate effort, the 23rd and final Northrop Grumman Corp.-built Defense Support Program (DSP) satellite has been mated with its payload adapter. Encapsulation of the spacecraft into the fairing is scheduled to take place in early March.

A Boeing Delta 4 rocket is scheduled to place the satellite into orbit April 1.