Intelsat to Provide Space-Based Communications Under Army SatCom-as-a-Managed Service Contract

The U.S. Army has awarded Intelsat a satellite communications-as-a-managed service contract requiring the company to deliver multi-orbit communications capabilities.

Under the satcom-as-a-service contract, Intelsat will provide end-to-end managed connectivity subscription services, allowing the Army to link with commercial teleports and internet services. The company will also provide its Intelsat Flex services, enabling geostationary-orbit and low-Earth orbit satellite connectivity.

The contract is the first of its kind the Army issued, Intelsat said Thursday.

Rick Henry, vice president of business operations at Intelsat’s government solutions division, said the company’s offerings would allow the military branch to redeploy terminals without changing service or network configurations. The flexibility allows the Army to adapt to different missions and operations, he added.

The award follows Intelsat’s inclusion in a potential 10-year, $900 million Defense Information Systems Agency indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for proliferated LEO satellite services in July. Under the contract, Intelsat and 15 other companies would have the opportunity to compete for a wide range of tasks, including satellite connectivity; synthetic aperture radar imaging; space domain awareness; and position, navigation and timing.