Boeing Defense, Space & Security has the first part of a total $298.37-million U.S. Air Force contract to build a satellite payload prototype and develop a new secure, resilient satellite communications architecture for the U.S. Space Force’s Evolved Strategic SATCOM (ESS) program. According to an Pentagon announcement, this contract FY 2020 research and development funds in the amount of $29.47 million will be assigned at the time of award, and the work, to be conducted by Boeing in El Segundo, Calif., is expected to be complete by May 2025.
“We have worked closely with the Space Force to define a program responsive to our nation’s needs,” stated Boeing Government Satellite Systems vice president Troy Dawson. “By leveraging our expertise in digital engineering and technologies with synergies across both our government and commercial systems, we’re uniquely positioned to deliver solutions needed to address the ever-evolving threats.”
ESS, described as a military satellite communications system, will be a critical part of the U.S. Space Force’s strategy. Details released by USSF earlier this year explain that "a single, integrated SATCOM enterprise will deliver unparalleled options to joint warfighters for mission success". It is expected to:
· Accommodate disruptions and loss and still deliver effects;
· Employ new tools to optimize usage allowing proactive management of SATCOM resources;
· Be able to rapidly redirect resources to the highest priority missions
· Support agile roaming for users across multiple systems
· Deliver and fuse real-time information to support decision makers
· Provide cyber resiliency by managing the operational risk, keeping mission platforms operational
· Be trained, exercised, and operated as a single enterprise; and,
· Rely on agile acquisition processes capable of absorbing innovative capabilities, commercial and military, that make the enterprise more flexible, agile and resilient for warfighters.
Contracts for the full ESS system are expected to be awarded in 2025.
Boeing noted that the contract is one of three development contracts to build the satellite payload prototype and develop a new secure, resilient satellite Fiscal 2020 research and development funds in the amount of $29,447,172 are being obligated at the time of award.
