Commercial satellite firms may gain from military piggyback plan
Source: Washington Post
The U.S. military may spend $1 billion during the next decade to piggyback its communications equipment onto commercial satellites.
The Air Force, which plans to ask companies for contract bids as early as September, has heard from “numerous’’ satellite operators and manufacturers interested in the deal, said George Sullivan, a contract specialist for the service. Boeing and Loral Space & Communications expect to compete, company executives said.
The Defense Department has been looking for ways to ease stress on its own satellite networks and has increasingly turned to commercial providers for extra bandwidth to handle demands such as drone surveillance and radio communications.
“The requirement for bandwidth is insatiable,’’ said Jim Simpson, vice president of business development for Boeing Space and Intelligence Systems, part of the Chicago-based aerospace company.
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