Viasat expands SATCOM business with US Marine Corps contract
Viasat's SATCOM service will support marine expeditionary units at the tactical edge. (Photo: USN)
Viasat announced on 24 January that it was awarded a contract to provide end-to-end SATCOM support as a managed service to the USMC. This follows a successful pilot and follow-on service programme in FY2022 under which Viasat delivered a SATCOM as a Managed Service (SaaMS) solution to I Marine Expeditionary Force (I MEF).
This represents the first commercially developed SaaMS implemented by a USMC command.
It equips I MEF with a beyond-line-of-sight communications capability that is scalable and deployable to meet contract and operational requirements. The SaaMS capability supports exercises, marine expeditionary units and stand in force rotational deployments with on-demand connectivity and data transport.
Related Articles
Long game puts Hughes in contention for US Army SATCOM spoils
Viasat awarded $99 million order for US Navy tactical radios
US Marine Corps selects Silvus radios for ground vehicle comms
Craig Miller, president of Viasat Government Systems, said 'This is a modern SATCOM service that is designed to deliver the performance, flexibility and rapid deployment capability marine expeditionary forces need – supporting operational readiness and enabling the USMC to easily leverage surge capacity for specific mission needs.'
The SaaMS offers seamless roaming and always-on access across commercial high-capacity networks.
Supported by a network operations centre and security operations centre, the turnkey service will provide the USMC with terminal inventory management, network performance monitoring, cyber security, and cyber defence, as well as engineering, training and logistics support.
More from Digital Battlespace
-
Airbus launches final CSO observation satellite for French Armed Forces
Airbus was awarded the Composante Spatiale Optique (CSO) contract at the end of 2010. This included an option for a third satellite, which was activated after Germany joined the programme in 2015.
-
Intelligence advantage: How real-time GEOINT is reshaping military decision-making (Studio)
In today’s contested operational environment, adaptability is key. The new Geospatial-Intelligence as a Service (GEO IaaS) solution from Fujitsu and MAIAR empowers militaries by enabling intelligence advantage, combining advanced technology with human expertise to deliver actionable insights.
-
Israel sets up new department to boost development of AI and autonomy
Israel will continue to develop autonomy for its weapons and platforms as it brings together defence personnel, academia and industry.
-
Clavister contracted to supply cyber protection for CV90s
Clavister CyberArmour, an integrated defence cybersecurity system, will be used on BAE Systems Hägglunds’ CV90 platform in deployments with a Scandinavian country, as well as in an eastern European nation.
-
Lockheed Martin completes tactical satellite demonstration and prepares for launch
The tactical satellite (TacSat) is an intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) system and will participate in exercises in 2025.
-
AUSA 2024: General Micro Systems adds four new products to the X9 Spider family
The airborne three-domain, the two ground-based and the ¼ ATR OpenVPX-based cross-domain systems were engineered to provide real-time security across multi-domain operations.