MCLEAN, VA, June 22, 2014 — Global satellite solutions provider SES Government Solutions has been awarded a $8,245,160 firm-fixed-price COMSATCOM Pathfinder contract by the U.S. Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center (SMC) based in Los Angeles, California. The contract will provide on-orbit transponders to support Ku-band communications for U.S. Africa Command.
Pathfinder is viewed as an innovative business model available to the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) for the acquisition of critical communications infrastructure. This model allows the DoD to pre-commit to the use of the commercial satellite transponders for multiple years and therefore lowers the cost when compared to the traditional O&M leasing approach. With this award, SES Government Solutions will provide satellite capacity at an extraordinarily high level of performance while the U.S. Government takes advantage of the substantially reduced cost.
Tip Osterthaler, President and Chief Executive Officer of SES Government Solutions noted, “The Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center should be applauded for once again challenging the traditional paradigm and uncovering a new and cost effective solution to meet their SATCOM requirements. Because of these efforts, critical commercial communication satellite (COMSATCOM) capability in an area of high demand is secured for the life of the satellite, reducing both cost and risk to the warfighter.”
For further information please contact:
Nicole Robinson
Corporate Vice President, Communications & Government Affairs
SES Government Solutions
About SES Government Solutions
SES Government Solutions, a subsidiary of global satellite operator SES, is exclusively focused on meeting the satellite communications needs of the U.S. Government. Leveraging more than three decades of experience in the government SATCOM market, SES Government Solutions offers robust and secure satellite-based communications solutions. Supported by SES’s fleet of over 50 satellites offering comprehensive global coverage, SES Government Solutions offers highly reliable fixed and on-the-move capacity.