Awarded a new contract by the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory, Intelsat, operator of one of the largest integrated satellite and terrestrial networks in the world, will develop and test multi-orbit satellite communications (SATCOM) systems on multiple Air Force aircraft.

The agreement is a component of the Defense Experimentation Using Commercial Space Internet (DEUCSI) program, which employs multi-band, multi-orbit implementations that can be shifted between orbits instantaneously in order to meet the government's demand for resilient aircraft communications. The contractual agreement is valued at $9 million and spans a duration of one year.

Intelsat President of Government Solutions David Broadbent: Intelsat’s offering is unique because we have a virtualized network. This allows for quick integration, increased resiliency and protection which is essential in contested operations,” said Intelsat’s President of Government Solutions David Broadbent. “This virtual network can be changed on the fly and works with new equipment as well as legacy systems allowing the user to make critical changes based on mission needs.

This mission will utilize the Resilient multi-Orbit Airborne Module (Intelsat ROAM) platform developed by Intelsat. AFRL-selected aircraft will be equipped with Intelsat ROAM, which will utilize multiple orbits and bands and constellations to facilitate mission success and operator convenience without requiring significant hardware configuration modifications.