Boeing to provide anti-jam upgrade for Wideband Global SATCOM satellite constellation

LOS ANGELES AFB, Calif., 19 Feb. 2016. Electronic warfare (EW) experts at the Boeing Co. will upgrade the anti-jam and information-security capabilities of an important military satellite communications (SATCOM) system under terms of a $55 million U.S. Air Force contract announced this week.

Officials of the Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center at Los Angeles Air Force Base, Calif., are asking EW experts at the Boeing Defense, Space & Security segment in El Segundo, Calif., for an X-Band anti-jam upgrade for the Wideband Global SATCOM satellite constellation.

Boeing experts will provide increased resilience to unintentional and hostile electronic threats to Wideband Global SATCOM satellites under terms of the contract.

The Wideband Global SATCOM satellite is the successor to the Defense Satellite Communications System-III, and is the backbone of U.S. military global satellite communications. One WGS satellite has about 12 times the bandwidth of a DSCS-III satellite; just one WGS satellite provides more SATCOM capacity than the entire DSCS constellation.

The WGS constellation provides flexible, high-capacity high-data-rate and long-haul communications for the nation's warfighters. In addition to providing global SATCOM for Marines, soldiers, sailors, and airmen, the WGS provides SATCOM capability to the White House Communication Agency, the U.S. State Department, international partners, and other special users. International partners participating on the WGS program are Australia, Canada, Denmark, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, and New Zealand.

Related: Boeing to build ninth Wideband Global SATCOM satellite in $376.5 million Air Force contract

The WGS system is composed of three principal segments: space segment (satellites), control segment (operators) and terminal segment (users). WGS satellites are the U.S. military's highest-capacity communications satellites.

The on-orbit WGS constellation comprises six satellites in geosynchronous orbit. The first WGS satellite was launched in October 2007. There are three Block I satellites (launched in October 2007, April 2009, December 2009) and three WGS Block II satellites (launched in January 2012, May 2013, and August 2013).

Each WGS satellite provides service in the X and Ka frequency bands, with the ability to cross-band between the two frequencies onboard the satellite. WGS augments the one-way Global Broadcast Service (GBS) service through new two-way Ka-band service. For more information contact Boeing Defense, Space & Security online at www.boeing.com/defense, or the Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center at www.losangeles.af.mil.