The U.S. Air Force Space Command’s Space and Missile Systems Center at Los Angeles Air Force Base, Calif., announced Sept. 28 that it has awarded 17 contracts totaling $84.3 million as a result of a Broad Agency Announcement released in April for the “Protected Military Satellite Communications Design for Affordability Risk Reduction Demonstration.”
This composite study will demonstrate elements of a MILSATCOM protected tactical system to position the U.S. Government in respect to affordability, performance and timeliness for the acquisition of a next generation protected communications enterprise in the fiscal year 2020 or later timeframe.
These awards will enable the next generation protected tactical system by using an unclassified waveform that jointly meets the needs of multiple Services across the Department of Defense while also addressing affordability. These needs include Remote Piloted Aircraft support for the Air Force, Protected Communication on the Move for the Army and tactical Maritime operations for the Navy.
To meet their requirements, the government identified elements of space, ground, and terminal segments for risk reduction and demonstration activities during the BAA. These include examining best placement of processing functions between the space, terminal, and/or ground segments relative to current traditional highly protected MILSATCOM system designs. Awards in these areas will provide the government an increased understanding of opportunities and challenges when identifying more affordable design concepts. These awards will also improve the government’s understanding of cost, development schedule, and performance profiles of candidate component technologies and the respective building blocks that address future protected tactical communications.
To study the various aspects noted above, each selected contractor brings a unique idea and capability to the study. Furthermore, each company will present architecture solutions unique to its strengths. Awardees include multiple small businesses who enhance affordability, commercial contractors who provide new insight, and traditional MILSATCOM system design contractors. The 17 contractors awarded represent a multitude of levels of effort. Those on the low end (~$150 thousand) will participate in a working group, while those on the high end (~$10 million) will build hardware and perform demonstrations and testing. Award of this BAA will position and grow the industry base for the future development of an affordable, protected MILSATCOM system.
The study kicked off in October 2012 and will last approximately 24 months. At the study’s end, some companies will deliver hardware or software, while others will perform product demonstrations at an FFRDC facility or “in-house.”
The following companies will participate in multiple areas of focus across the BAA.
Waveform Specification Development:
- Boeing, Space & Intelligence Systems, Seal Beach, Calif.
- Northrop Grumman Systems Corp, Redondo Beach, Calif.
- Space Systems Loral, Palo Alto, Calif.
- Raytheon, Marlborough, Mass.
- L-3 Communication Corp, Communications Systems West, Salt Lake City, Utah
- Hughes Network Systems, LLC Germantown, Md.
- ViaSat Inc, Comsat Laboratories, Germantown, Md.
- L-3 Communications Corp, Communications Systems East, Camden, N.J
- Orbital Sciences Corp, Dulles, Va.
- General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems, Santa Clara, Calif.
- Space Micro Inc, San Diego, Calif.
- Lockheed Martin, Space Systems Company, Sunnyvale, Calif.
- Harris Corp, Government Communications Systems, Palm Bay, Fla.
- Hughes Design Group, Culver City, Calif.
- Arkham Technology Limited, Irvine, Calif.
- General Dynamics C4 Systems, Taunton, Mass.
Affordable Protected Space/Ground Segment Design and Demonstration:
- Boeing, Space & Intelligence Systems, Seal Beach, Calif.
- Northrop Grumman Systems Corp, Redondo Beach, Calif.
- Space Systems Loral, Palo Alto, Calif.
Affordable Gateway Risk Reduction and Demonstration:
- Lockheed Martin, Information Systems & Global Solutions, King of Prussia, Penn.
- Northrop Grumman Systems Corp, Redondo Beach, Calif.
Affordable Mission Planning and Management Demonstration:
- Boeing, Space & Intelligence Systems, Seal Beach, Calif.
- Hughes Network Systems, LLC Germantown, Md.
Affordable Terminal Design and Demonstration:
- Raytheon, Marlborough, Mass.
- L-3 Communication Corp, Communications Systems West, Salt Lake City, Utah
Affordable Terminal Cryptographic Component Development and Demonstration:
- ViaSat Inc, Comsat Laboratories, Germantown, Md.
- L-3 Communications Corp, Communications Systems East, Camden, N.J.
