GovCons Using Small Satellites for US Navy Edge Cloud Computing

Government contractors such as SpaceX are leveraging proliferated small communications satellites that regularly orbit Earth to help the U.S. Navy use cloud computing at the tactical edge.

The service has been using the cloud in its Flank Speed and Flank Speed Edge efforts, which are unique enterprise systems for daily work. Barbara Supplee, SAIC executive vice president for Navy business, told Potomac Officers Club that using cloud computing with these proliferated low earth orbit satellites provides sailors with a number of advantages. These include reducing hardware requirements and network administration burden for a ship’s force, and an improved quality of life.

“We’re seeing a successful enterprise shift and adoption into cloud computing,” Supplee said.

Thursday April 24 is your chance to learn more about impactful cloud computing strategies from experts like Supplee at the Potomac Officers Club’s 2025 Digital Transformation Summit. Supplee and U.S. Navy IT experts will discuss bringing enterprise to the edge at the Hilton-McLean in McLean, Virginia. Time is running out—sign up today!

Pentagon Initiatives to Improve Satellite Resilience

SpaceX bills its Starlink proliferated low earth orbit constellation as providing weather-resilient high-speed internet to both fixed sites and mobile sites on land and sea, and in flight. Spreading satellite communication, or satcom, services in low earth orbit is part of a broader Department of Defense strategy of improving satcom resilience by diversifying orbits.

SpaceX, Inmarsat Government, Intelsat General and OneWeb Technologies were among 16 companies selected by the Defense Information Systems Agency in July 2023 for indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contracts for Proliferated Low Earth Orbit Satellite-Based Services. Capabilities covered by the ID/IQ include, but are not limited to, synthetic aperture radar; high-speed broadband; space domain awareness and alternative positioning, navigation and timing, or PNT.

Flank Speed provides a secure ecosystem for working with colleagues, cloud computing for documents and files, and Microsoft Office 365 productivity programs. Flank Speed Edge is a broadening of Flank Speed, bringing computer processing closer to users for better bandwidth, data privacy and autonomy.

DOD Digital Transformation

Cloud computing is a central pillar of digital transformation; or how companies, organizations and agencies are using digital technology to improve how they do business. Supplee said while she is seeing opportunities for DOD to improve with digital transformation, she’s also seeing a few hurdles.

The current procurement and decision-making processes, she explained, are complex and slow down the adoption and implementation of new technologies. Additionally, Supplee said there is a resistance to change as the adoption of new technologies and processes sometimes faces pushback from other military commands that are accustomed to traditional methods and speeds. 

Supplee stipulated that while she is encouraged by promising efforts such as the Software Acquisition Pathway, or SAP, which enables rapid and iterative delivery of software capabilities using modern software development practices and active user engagement, DOD still has work to do.

“We haven’t seen a large-scale adoption yet,” she said about SAP. “Further streamlining of more nimble acquisition options is essential for more agile and efficient pilots into production.”

Don’t miss out on Thursday’s Potomac Officers Club 2025 Digital Transformation Summit. Hear Supplee discuss how GovCons and federal agencies can help bring enterprise to the edge and accelerate innovation and mission outcomes. Also learn about the many factors to consider when bringing information to the edge. Tickets are selling fast, don’t miss out!