U.S. Department of Defense Awards Low Earth Orbit IDIQ Contract to SES Space & Defense
SES’s fully-owned affiliate will provide global end-to-end satellite solutions to the U.S. Space Force through a secure, integrated space and terrestrial network
Reston, Va., 20 October 2023 – SES Space & Defense, a wholly-owned subsidiary of SES, has been awarded a five-year, Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract for proliferated Low Earth Orbit (pLEO) satellite-based services (SBS).
The IDIQ vehicle was awarded through the Defense Information Systems Agency’s (DISA) Defense Information Technology Contracting Organization (DITCO) by the U.S. Space Force. Under the multi-award contract, valued at up to USD 900 million, the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), federal agencies, and international coalition partners can acquire fully managed low-latency LEO SBS from 16 selected awardees, including SES Space & Defense.
As the industry’s leading COMSATCOM operator and integrator, SES Space & Defense possesses distinct advantages in providing the U.S. DoD with value-added solutions at the tactical edge. The company leverages SES’s global fleet of more than 70 Geostationary Earth Orbit (GEO) and Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) satellites, coupled with LEO partnerships, to create a fully managed and integrated terrestrial and space network.
Satellite services delivered via multiple orbits enable a comprehensive range of new connectivity capabilities for the U.S. DoD. Non-geostationary satellite orbits (NGSO) - LEO and MEO - provide low-latency and flexible, fiber-like connectivity ideal for high-bandwidth, real-time applications, while GEO satellites enhance global resiliency and redundancy enabling a broader scope of government use cases.
SES Space & Defense also offers enterprise management and control (EM&C) capabilities, facilitating a seamless, integrated network of COMSATCOM and MILSATCOM systems and extensive experience in building and operating global networks. This enables DoD users to enjoy resilient, redundant, and secure multi-orbit, multi-band network solutions.
“The pLEO IDIQ is the first multiple award contract to deliver pLEO COMSATCOM services to the government and military,” said SES Space & Defense President and CEO, David Fields. “The contract structure is part of the U.S. Space Force’s new approach to acquiring SATCOM. These awards are foundational for COMSATCOM integration and proliferation into new waveforms and orbits enabling connectivity and communication at the tactical edge.”
For further information, please contact:
Melanie Delannoy
SES Space & Defense
Vice President, Marketing & Communications
Tel. +1 571 443 7993
[email protected]
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About SES
SES has a bold vision to deliver amazing experiences everywhere on earth by distributing the highest quality video content and providing seamless connectivity around the world. As the leader in global content connectivity solutions, SES operates the world’s only multi-orbit constellation of satellites with the unique combination of global coverage and high performance, including the commercially-proven, low-latency Medium Earth Orbit O3b system. By leveraging a vast and intelligent, cloud-enabled network, SES is able to deliver high-quality connectivity solutions anywhere on land, at sea or in the air, and is a trusted partner to the world’s leading telecommunications companies, mobile network operators, governments, connectivity and cloud service providers, broadcasters, video platform operators and content owners. SES’s video network carries ~8,000 channels and has an unparalleled reach of 369 million households, delivering managed media services for both linear and non-linear content. The company is listed on Paris and Luxembourg stock exchanges (Ticker: SESG). Further information is available at: www.ses.com
About SES Space & Defense
SES Space & Defense is a wholly-owned subsidiary of SES, the leader in global content connectivity solutions, and is exclusively focused on building, managing, and supporting the most advanced satellite network solutions for the U.S. Government. SES Space & Defense leverages a proven multi-operator network integration and management capability, an extensive global terrestrial network, as well as access to SES’s multi-orbit satellite fleet. It also offers U.S. Department of Defense customers the essential tools in cybersecurity for mission-critical operations, coupled with a proven track record in governance and compliance. SES Space & Defense operates under a proxy board, enabling it to support classified projects, and it has been present in the U.S. Government satcom market for over four decades. Further information can be found at: www.sessd.com.
