New Contract Worth $2.4 Billion for Advanced Nuclear Command and Control Satellite Systems Granted by Space Force
## Boeing Secures Contract for Evolved Strategic SATCOM Program
The U.S. Space Force has awarded a significant contract to Boeing to build up to four new satellites for the Evolved Strategic SATCOM (ESS) program, a critical initiative aimed at modernizing the nation's nuclear command, control, and communications (NC3) architecture.
Boeing's victory in securing the ESS contract follows its selection to build the Air Force's Next-Generation Air Dominance Fighter, the F-47, earlier this year. The company was chosen over Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman, having previously earned a rapid prototyping contract for ESS in 2020.
The ESS program is a successor to the Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) program, which involved the aforementioned defense contractors. The AEHF program, which began launching satellites in 2010, consists of six satellites in geostationary orbit. In contrast, the ESS program aims to incorporate diverse orbital regimes, potentially including Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and Medium Earth Orbit (MEO).
The ESS program is essential for several reasons. It aims to provide secure, jam-resistant, and highly protected strategic satellite communications, essential for maintaining positive control over the U.S. nuclear arsenal. The evolving threat landscape in space necessitates a more secure and resilient communication system. Current systems face vulnerabilities, and the ESS program aims to address these by providing a highly protected and jam-resistant communication network.
The program leverages advanced technologies, such as software-defined communications payloads, which have been successfully tested in other satellite systems. The Space Force has allocated significant resources to the program, with the initial contract valued at $2.8 billion and the total program expected to cost around $12 billion. This investment underscores the program's importance to the Space Force's mission.
The Space Force plans to reach Initial Operational Capability by 2032. The first two satellites are expected to be delivered by 2031. The ESS program will serve as the backbone for secure, jam-resistant communications with the president and the combatant commands, allowing decision-makers to maintain positive control over the nuclear arsenal.
Kay Sears, vice president and general manager of Boeing Space, Intelligence, and Weapon Systems, expressed that the ESS system is designed to provide guaranteed communication to address an evolving threat environment in space. Col A.J. Ashby, program director, stated that the award signifies the Space Force's readiness to modernize the nuclear command, control, and communications (NC3) enterprise.
The contract for the first two satellites is valued at $2.8 billion, with an option for two more satellites as part of the Evolved Strategic SATCOM program. The ESS program is a key element of the Pentagon's modernization program for its nuclear enterprise. The Defense Department states that the ESS program will allow decision-makers to maintain positive control over the nuclear arsenal, making it a vital component of the nation's security.
- The U.S. Space Force has chosen Boeing to build up to four new satellites for the Evolved Strategic SATCOM (ESS) program, a crucial initiative for modernizing the military's nuclear command, control, and communications (NC3) architecture.
- Boeing's success in securing the ESS contract followed its selection to build the Air Force's Next-Generation Air Dominance Fighter, the F-47, earlier this year.
- In contrast to the Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) program, which consists of six satellites in geostationary orbit, the ESS program will incorporate various orbital regimes, such as Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and Medium Earth Orbit (MEO).
- The ESS program's primary aim is to provide secure, jam-resistant, and highly protected strategic satellite communications, essential for maintaining control over the U.S. nuclear arsenal.
- The Space Force has allocated substantial resources to the program, with the initial contract valued at $2.8 billion and the total program expected to cost around $12 billion.
- The ESS program will serve as the backbone for secure, jam-resistant communications with the president and the combatant commands, making it a key element of the Pentagon's modernization program for its nuclear enterprise.
- The defense industry, particularly the space-and-astronomy, aerospace, technology, and finance sectors, will likely be involved in the production and development of the ESS program, given its substantial costs and advanced technologies such as software-defined communications payloads.
