While this certainly isn’t the longest or highest dollar-value military satellite contract in history, it could be among the most impactful. That’s because this particular pilot contract marks a new and revolutionary way in which the military is acquiring satellite services that could shape future satellite acquisitions across the military for decades to come.

However, to best understand what is new and different about this contract, we have to understand how the military has traditionally purchased commercial satellite communications (COMSATCOM) solutions.

Separate and kludged together
Historically, the military acquired satellite communications by combining numerous different solutions, capabilities, and services that had to be acquired individually. The military often insisted on owning, operating, and managing as much of that equation as possible to ensure that reliability and security met their stringent requirements.

This meant that the ground segment (teleports, terrestrial circuits, etc.) would be leased and terminals purchased separately from different vendors to meet specific mission requirements. The actual COMSATCOM capacity would then be purchased from a satellite operator – often on the spot market at a financial premium – to provide coverage and connectivity when and where needed.

This approach was often the most complex and expensive one. However, aggregating and integrating the different aspects or elements required to enable satellite communications created other, larger challenges for the military.

“By embracing the SaaMS model, the U.S. Army ensures that it always has access to the latest satellite innovations.”

The first was interoperability. By buying solutions from multiple disparate vendors, the military often faced integration, operational and performance challenges. There were even times when a third party (system integrator) under an additional contract would be brought to the table to make everything function as a comprehensive whole. The interoperability issue for the government, including the challenge of bringing together SATCOM capabilities from multiple disparate vendors and obtaining frequency approvals for the terminals to operate internationally, is all now handled by a satellite as a managed services (SaaMS) contractor.

The other issue involved flexibility and speed. By the time the Army or other service identified a requirement and began the long, arduous acquisition process, the solution that they ultimately acquired was no longer cutting-edge or innovative. This problem became particularly prescient in the past few years, as a new generation of near-peer and peer adversaries arose capable of constantly adding new innovative capabilities to their arsenals.

These challenges made the concept of SATCOM as a managed service so important.

It just works
The “as a Service” model is increasingly popular these days as companies shift from selling a product that their customer owns forever to selling a service that the customer pays a recurring fee.. While this may sound advantageous for the vendor, it’s mutually beneficial. The customer gains increased flexibility and capability, their service is constantly being upgraded with the latest technologies as they’re introduced, and there is incredible peace of mind, knowing that the service is complete and will work when needed.

The COMSATCOM industry began shifting to this business model a few years ago, with satellite providers offering their customers SATCOM as a managed service that simply offered the connectivity they needed, when and where they needed it. Unfortunately, at the time, it appeared that the military was reticent to embrace this new approach to COMSATCOM acquisition.

However, the U.S. Army SaaMS pilot contract is proof that attitudes are changing within the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) toward acquiring SATCOM as a service.

“Instead of being responsible for navigating these interoperability challenges and providing a SATCOM solution for the warfighter that simply works when and where it’s needed, the SaaMS model effectively outsources that responsibility to an industry partner.”

There are numerous reasons why the SaaMS model makes sense for the Department of Defense (DoD) today. The largest is the shifting threat environment. As we’ve discussed, the DoD now faces near-peer, pacing adversaries with advanced capabilities that are always improving. The pace at which these adversaries can innovate and add new capabilities is greater than anything our military has experienced in the past.

The private sector has edged the DoD as the innovator in space – launching exciting new satellite constellations with incredible capacity and extremely low latency. By embracing the SaaMS model, the U.S. Army ensures that it always has access to the latest satellite innovations. The SaaMS model enables the military to take advantage of these innovations immediately by following an end-to-end service-based approach instead of segment procurements.

SaaMS is a transport-agnostic (GEO, MEO, and LEO) approach, and the government needs to just specify service level requirements (service areas, latency, error rates, etc.), types of terminals (fixed, compact flat panel antenna-based portable and manpack, mobile, etc.) and the service delivery times, the rest is service provider’s responsibility. Multi-orbit and multi-band operational capabilities and services are part of the model. The military will have complete transparency and visibility to their network operation using state-of-the-art web tools such as SES Space & Defense’s ICT Portal. The SaaMS model also provides extremely good service lead times, as good as one week for CONUS and two weeks for international, which rarely happens on other acquisitions.

The COMSATCOM industry has made massive strides toward standardization and interoperability in the past few years. However, some hurdles still remain. Instead of being responsible for navigating these interoperability challenges and providing a SATCOM solution for the warfighter that simply works when and where it’s needed, the SaaMS model effectively outsources that responsibility to an industry partner.

“By buying solutions from multiple disparate vendors, the military often faced integration, operational and performance challenges. There were even times when a third party…under an additional contract would be brought to the table to make everything function as a comprehensive whole.”

By embracing the SaaMS model, the Army has effectively acquired a SATCOM solution that should just work when needed. The terrestrial network, terminals, and capacity are all included, and making it all work together is the vendor’s responsibility, not the Army’s. The end result of the SaaMS is a customer experience similar to what American consumers get from their cellphone providers. For a set of services and prices, everything that is needed to communicate is effectively “in the box” and should function to meet the requirements of the mission.

Together, such SaaMS benefits allow the U.S. Army to maintain its end-user needs and technological edge over its adversaries without constantly investing in network infrastructure. .

Only a pilot?
With such significant benefits for the U.S. Army, it might be surprising that this foray into SaaMS is simply a pilot program. Why not go “all in” on SaaMS and make it available across the DoD?

If recent events—including the War in Ukraine—have taught us anything, it’s that SATCOM is an essential tool in modern warfighting. Risk is inherent in any major change or new approach that the military takes. If the DoD had fundamentally changed the way in which it acquires COMSATCOM services and the new approach failed to meet mission requirements, it could have had a significant, negative impact on military operations.

By awarding this pilot contract across limited Combatant Commands, the DoD can effectively assess the SaaMS model and any risks it may create. Should SaaMS meet the military’s requirements, it can be expanded in the future across all services and end users with scalability, flexibility, and agility. Based on early results from the SaaMS pilot, that would appear to be on the horizon.

SaaMS is the future of the satellite industry – offering COMSATCOM providers the ability to offer turnkey SATCOM solutions to their customers that simply work when and where they’re needed. It’s exciting to see the U.S. Army embracing this new approach to satellite acquisition, which will better enable the military to keep a technological edge over its adversaries.

The post U.S. Army Embracing New Approach to COMSATCOM Acquisition appeared first on SES Space and Defense.

To learn more about how the DoD will leverage the BPA, how it fits into the movement towards an integrated MILSATCOM and COMSATCOM space architecture, as well as how commercial partnerships played a role in delivering this global solution, the Government Satellite Report sat down with Hugh Keane, Senior BD Manager at SES Space & Defense.

GSR: This BPA – which was awarded through DISA and Space Force – essentially gives military organizations a contract vehicle to procure military X-Band COMSATCOM services. What types of organizations and services within the military do you anticipate utilizing this BPA? Why would these military organizations need access to this capability?

Hugh Keane: We see several types of organizations using this BPA. At the combatant command level, we see various use cases for X-Band as part of PACE (Primary, Alternate, Contingency, and Emergency) communications plans for main operating bases, or as a resource that they can distribute to their component users through something like a Satellite Access Request model – whether that’s for exercises or real-world missions.

For the services, some are already users of X-Band on well-established contract vehicles. We see the X-Band BPA as being able to support those users on proof-of-concept work or for short-term requirements that may lie outside the scope of their usual contracting mechanisms.

This vehicle is creating a simple path for all U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) end-users to get access to X-Band, whether that’s raw megahertz capacity or full end-to-end services. And it is the first time that such a vehicle has existed to give this type of X-Band access to the DoD and its end-users. It’s really going to facilitate rapid time-to-order and time-to-activate for those X-Band services.

Many of the organizations are equipped with hardware that will work on WGS in X-Band. So, depending on the mission of the individual end-user, they might not always have priority on WGS. The X-Band BPA will provide an avenue for them to get service without having to change out expensive equipment sets and move to Ka or Ku, for example.

There are also those missions that do require the capabilities that are either inherent to the frequency range of X-Band itself, or some of the capabilities that are inherent to those X-Band satellites.

GSR:  Why is military X-Band important? What differentiates military X-Band from commercial Ka or Ku-band satellite services? Why would this be important for the DoD?

Hugh Keane: Military X-Band is important in many ways. It’s in wide use today because of the WGS satellites and there are many X-Band terminals out there, whether they are land, maritime, or aero terminals. The nature of WGS – and with a finite set of WGS satellites – means there’s not always sufficient capacity to fulfill all user requirements. As such, X-Band on commercial satellites supplements WGS very well, allowing those lower-priority missions to have non-preemptible capacity.

It also provides a greater battle space in which the DoD can operate with enhanced resiliency, by having access to both the military and the commercial X-Band satellites. In addition to that, one of the great advantages of the X-Band frequency spectrum, itself, is that it provides highly reliable and high link availability communications in regions where Ku band and Ka band might struggle due to the high rain fade. In fact, this makes it possibly the best solution in certain parts of the world.

“All the geographic combatant commands have access to X-Band capacity within their areas of responsibility (AOR) through the BPA…” -Hugh Keane

Also, given that X-Band is reserved for military and government use, the satellites themselves tend to be equipped with greater security than purely commercial satellites. With features like highly secure TTNC encryption, anti-jamming capabilities, and – in certain cases on some of the satellites – hardening against nuclear attack. All these features combined, contribute to the resiliency and the availability of the communications links, and as such, they become a bit more desirable for ”no-fail” missions.

GSR: SES Space & Defense has called the service that it’s offering the DoD a “global satellite capacity.” Is this solution truly global? Are there any locations or geographies where the solution will not be available?

Hugh Keane: The service offers the DoD global satellite capacity. All the geographic combatant commands have access to X-Band capacity within their areas of responsibility (AOR) through the BPA and there are multiple coverage options in many locations of significant activity; apart from a small gap in coverage in the Pacific. With regard to that, we will continue to explore options and opportunities throughout the life of the BPA to provide even greater coverage and alternative coverage as the customers need.

GSR: To deliver on this contract, SES Space & Defense claims to have, “partnered with several industry-leading players, including integrators, SATCOM, and teleport operators.” What does this mean? Why was a partnership with these other industry partners necessary to deliver a global solution for the military?

Hugh Keane: SES has a great X-Band asset capability in GovSat-1. This is a relatively new satellite launched in 2018 and it provides good, flexible coverage through both fixed and steerable beams for all types of missions,  whether maritime, land, or aero missions in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East.

However, those regions demand flexibility, redundancy, and alternative solutions so we look to our trusted industry partners for additional capacity. And in part, the SES acquisition of DRS GES plays a role here, due to GES’ background as an integrator, and also as a long-term provider of end-to-end X-Band services to their customers.

Drawing on those relationships, we created partnerships to have access to all the commercially available X-Band fleets. That includes partnerships with XTAR for access to the XTAR LANT and EUR satellites, Airbus for access to Skynet, and also the future Syracuse satellites – Syracuse 4A and 4B. And with Anuvu for access to other satellites and their Holmdel teleport. On the teleport side, we have access to multiple teleports, with partners at Telespazio, Santander, MBS, and USEI that deliver services in every combatant command AOR.

“One of the great benefits of the BPA is its flexibility of the broad scope it has when it comes to the provision of X-Band and its enabling elements.” -Hugh Keane

The whole globe is covered in terms of teleport requirements. We also have a number of major antenna providers enabling access to a range of terminals, whether commercial grade terminals or a full build spec standard terminal – depending on what the customer requires.

However, not all those capabilities reside in-house, that’s why we  partnered with several industry-leading players in order to offer the government the most comprehensive solution. The BPA also provides capacity throughout the life of the vehicle to update capabilities, so we can add new beams and new teleports as they become available.

GSR: What will the DoD need to utilize this global X-Band service? Will it have to buy specialized equipment and hardware – new antenna and terminal solutions?

Hugh Keane: One of the great benefits of the BPA is its flexibility of the broad scope it has when it comes to the provision of X-Band and its enabling elements. Through the BPA, we can simply provide raw megahertz of X-Band and we can provide end-to-end X-Band services. That is the space segment, the commercial teleport, and the terrestrial transport.

We can also lease or sell X-Band terminals. Because of WGS, if the user has an X-Band terminal that they use on WGS, they can utilize said terminal. The customer doesn’t need to buy any new equipment. And we can provide them with the service through the existing assets that they have, whether that’s simply bandwidth, or perhaps they also want to use that asset and access a commercial teleport and then have terrestrial backhaul to their home enterprise if needed.

Because of the flexibility of the BPA, if the customer doesn’t have the terminal today, or if they need to supplement terminals – we can provide them the full remote equipment set from scratch, both with buy and lease options. It’s very flexible.

In the end, if the customer already has the equipment, that’s great! We can provide them the services as they need it. But if they don’t have the equipment and they need access to it, we can do that as well.

GSR: How does this BPA play a role in the movement towards adopting the integrated MILSATCOM and COMSATCOM architecture that the DoD has been talking about for the past decade?

Hugh Keane: It certainly plays a role. We need to praise the U.S. Space Force for putting this BPA in place. Before we had this BPA, we worked with various DoD partners to provide an architecture that enabled roaming between WGS and COMSATCOM X-Band and that also included the provision of commercial teleports and peripheral backhaul.

“The BPA will have a positive effect – it allows rapid access to commercial X-Band satellite capacity and its enabling elements, not to mention greatly expands the capability sets of the DoD.” -Hugh Keane

I will say, though, in establishing the BPA, Space Force has now created an avenue that never existed before and is allowing all DoD users to access that type of service and capability for the integration of those MILSATCOM and COMSATCOM architectures. This is really enabled in the BPA allowing reduced time-to-order and time-to-activation of services. Space Force has greatly facilitated this integration by putting this vehicle in place.

GSR: What effect will the addition of this commercial global X-Band satellite capacity have on the military’s satellite architecture? Will it make it more secure? More assured? Why or why not?

Hugh Keane: The BPA will have a positive effect – it allows rapid access to commercial X-Band satellite capacity and its enabling elements, not to mention greatly expands the capability sets of the DoD. They now have COMSATCOM assets along with the ground infrastructure available in every AOR that can supplement and indeed work in tandem with WGS. By having that they increase the availability and resiliency of their communications pathways through access to a greater range of satellites, and ground assets.

To learn more about the Global X-Band BPA, read the official press release HERE.

The post How the new X-Band BPA delivers global capabilities for critical DoD operations appeared first on SES Space and Defense.

But today’s modern satellite applications would not be made possible without their ground segment counterparts. Within the space and satellite industries, ground segments can sometimes be viewed as “unsung heroes,” and without the support of terrestrial networks on the ground, the critical services that both military and civilian agencies depend on for daily business would not exist.

To learn more about terrestrial networks and ground segments, as well as the role they play in supporting government and military missions, the Government Satellite Report sat down with Nikhil Junankar, Director of Network Engineering at SES Space & Defense.

Government Satellite Report (GSR): When we discuss satellite services, we often focus on the satellites, themselves. However, there is also a terrestrial network and ground segment that plays a role in these services. What role does the ground segment play in satellite communications? What is this ground segment composed of?

Nikhil Junankar: The ground segment is an integral component that often goes overlooked in favor of focusing solely on the satellites themselves. However, understanding the role of the ground segment is crucial to comprehending the full picture of end-to-end satellite solutions.

Comprised of a diverse range of elements, the ground segment plays a pivotal role in facilitating effective and reliable global satellite communications. The ground segment consists of ground stations, control centers, and Network Operations Centers (NOCs) that are all connected by a terrestrial fiber network.

Ground stations establish bidirectional communication with the satellites, and include teleports, satellite gateways, and deployed satellite terminals. Furthermore, teleports serve as centralized hubs, managing the routing and distribution of satellite traffic, while control centers monitor and manage satellite operations, ensuring optimal functionality and coordinating activities like orbit adjustments. NOCs, on the other hand, handle network operations, traffic routing, troubleshooting, and security, maintaining the integrity of the ground segment network.

“While satellites capture a lot of attention in the media and public, the ground segment plays an indispensable role.” -Nikhil Junankar

The ground segment encompasses terrestrial fiber networks, enabling connectivity between the teleports, gateways, and the broader network ecosystem. These terrestrial networks serve as the backbone for exchanging data between other ground segment elements, that include customer points of presence, the Internet, and the cloud. They facilitate the seamless transfer of information, supporting voice, data, and video services.

While satellites capture a lot of attention in the media and public, the ground segment plays an indispensable role. It enables the delivery of services, supports satellite operations and control, and ensures the reliability, efficiency, and widespread coverage of satellite communications.

GSR: Is the ground segment and terrestrial network something that satellite customers can design and build themselves, or are they reliant on their satellite service providers for this network?

Nikhil Junankar: Unlike many of our competitors, we offer a unique approach with our sovereign service offerings. We empower our customers by providing the flexibility to design and build their own ground segment and terrestrial network within our ecosystem. At SES Space & Defense, we understand that each customer may have specific requirements and preferences when it comes to their network infrastructure.

With our open approach, customers can take an active role in designing and implementing their ground segment and tailoring it to their specific needs. While certain essential functions, such as NOC operations and satellite control, remain under SES’s purview to ensure seamless integration and overall system reliability, customers have the freedom to shape their network architecture within our framework.

This approach allows our customers to have greater control and ownership over their satellite communication infrastructure while benefiting from the expertise and support provided by SES.

GSR: What are some of the key characteristics customers should be looking for in a satellite provider’s terrestrial network and ground segment? What considerations should they keep in mind when evaluating providers?

Nikhil Junankar: When evaluating a satellite provider’s terrestrial network and ground segment, customers should consider several key characteristics to ensure they choose a reliable and robust service. One crucial aspect to prioritize is availability. In today’s digital age, the internet has become a utility, and customers should seek a provider that can deliver a consistently available connection. This includes addressing redundancy and recovery measures at every level of the ground segment.

For a highly available ground segment, aspects such as power supply to ground stations, UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) design (such as N+1 or 1:1 redundancy), on-site generators, and the frequency of generator testing should be taken into account. Adequate redundancy in these areas ensures that power failures or other disruptions do not lead to service outages.

“Overall, customers should prioritize availability, redundancy, and disaster recovery measures when evaluating a satellite provider’s terrestrial network and ground segment.” -Nikhil Junankar

Another consideration is redundancy in antenna systems. Multiple antennas with failover capabilities provide backup options in case of antenna failures, ensuring uninterrupted satellite communication. This redundancy enhances the reliability of the overall system.

In terms of the terrestrial network, diverse circuit and fiber routes are important. By utilizing multiple routes, providers can mitigate the risk of service disruption. Diverse routing helps ensure that a single point of failure does not impact the entire network.

Overall, customers should prioritize availability, redundancy, and disaster recovery measures when evaluating a satellite provider’s terrestrial network and ground segment. By considering these factors and selecting a provider that demonstrates a commitment to these key characteristics, customers can ensure a reliable and uninterrupted satellite communication service.

GSR: What is SES Space & Defense’s GCN? What separates and differentiates the GCN from other satellite services and ground segments?

Nikhil Junankar: SES Space & Defense’s Global Communications Network (GCN) connects satellite services to the various ground segment elements with its carrier-grade MPLS network. With Layer 2 and Layer 3 VPN, high-speed Internet, and seamless cloud integration, the GCN empowers customers worldwide. What sets it apart is the active Authority to Operate (ATO) and Authority to Connect (ATC) from the U.S. government, ensuring robust security and compliance. Customers benefit from the GCN’s stringent security protocols and compliance with industry best practices. Their critical data and communication channels are protected by robust security measures, ensuring confidentiality, integrity, and availability requirements are met.

The GCN is a transformative force in end-to-end satellite solutions. Its carrier-grade MPLS network, comprehensive services, and active ATO and ATC deliver secure, scalable, and reliable connectivity.

GSR: What different kinds of satellite services can customers get connected to through SES Space & Defense’s GCN? Can they only access services from SES’s satellite constellations?

Nikhil Junankar: The GCN goes beyond the SES satellite constellation by offering customers access to a variety of satellite services. As an agnostic network, the GCN provides terrestrial and backhaul connectivity from multiple operators.

We have peering arrangements with all major operators to deliver multi-orbit, multi-band solutions. Additionally, the GCN seamlessly supports SES’s upcoming O3b mPOWER satellite constellation. Customers can enjoy the flexibility to choose services that best suit their needs, leveraging the extensive reach and capabilities of the GCN.

While satellites often take centerstage, ground segments are the “unsung heroes” of government satellite ecosystems. Leveraging SES Space & Defense’s open approach and sovereign service offerings in conjunction with the GCN, enables customers to tailor their ground segments and terrestrial networks to their specific requirements while benefiting from robust security and reliable connectivity.

To view SES Space & Defense’s global network coverage, click the image below:

The post Ground segments—The unsung heroes of the satellite ecosystem appeared first on SES Space and Defense.

But this year’s hurricane season – which has generated named storms much earlier in the calendar year than anticipated – isn’t the only thing that’s out of the ordinary. Simply turn on the news and you’ll see that we’re dealing with unprecedented times.

If our nation was impacted by a major hurricane tomorrow, those that would be responsible for responding to that hurricane would be doing so during a global pandemic. That same COVID-19 pandemic that has already taxed our nation’s communications and healthcare networks and resources.

When these disasters hit, government agencies that are working with an already-taxed infrastructure will still be expected to respond effectively and in a timely, coordinated fashion. And to accomplish that, they’ll need tools that enable communications and situational awareness – even if already-taxed terrestrial networks fail.

Recently, experts from SES Space and Defense, Verizon, and goTenna sat down with Government Technology Insider’s Ryan Schradin to talk about the ways in which the COVID-19 pandemic could make this upcoming hurricane and wildfire season one of the most challenging ever for emergency responders. During their virtual panel discussion, they explained the role that communications networks play in enabling a coordinated, effectual emergency response, and how technologies like SATCOM and mobile mesh networking can help ensure communications even when multiple emergencies are raging simultaneously.

Click the play button below to hear their entire discussion.

The post PODCAST: Crisis upon crisis – how SATCOM can enable critical communications in emergency situations appeared first on SES Space and Defense.

Worse, these disasters have a tendency to destroy many of the things that first responders rely on to effectively do their jobs, including the terrestrial networks and communications infrastructures that enable them to coordinate their emergency response, collaborate in the field and communicate when they need direction, guidance or support.

Satellite services are one of a handful of advanced technologies that can be leveraged in the field to help assuage the lack of communication that often accompanies natural disasters and emergency response situations. Without the need for established, permanent terrestrial systems and infrastructure, today’s advanced satellite technologies can connect first responders even when terrestrial networks are denied. They can even provide communications infrastructure to residents after disasters have passed.

Recently, experts from SES Space and Defense, Verizon and goTenna came together with Peter Jacobs of the Government Technology Insider Podcast to talk all about the communications requirements during and after natural disasters and emergency response situations. During the podcast, they talked about why terrestrial networks are often compromised, the challenges this causes, and how advanced technologies are making it possible to communicate in even the worst conditions.

Click the play button below to hear their entire discussion.

Click HERE to download a complimentary copy of the “Emergency Response From Space” whitepaper and learn how satellite communications can keep first responders connected in disaster response scenarios.

The post PODCAST: The advanced technologies connecting emergency response efforts appeared first on SES Space and Defense.