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Lockheed receives contract for advanced satellite communications

By Stephen Carlson
The Advanced Extremely HIgh Frequency satellite system is used for various types of encrypted military communications around the world. Photo courtesy of U.S. Air Force
The Advanced Extremely HIgh Frequency satellite system is used for various types of encrypted military communications around the world. Photo courtesy of U.S. Air Force

Aug. 6 (UPI) -- Lockheed Martin Space Systems has received a $32 million modification to an existing contract for Advanced Extremely High Frequency Satellite Vehicle 4.

The modification, announced Friday by the Department of Defense, provides for SV 4 operational resiliency phase one of the AEHF. Work will be performed in Sunnyvale, Calif., and is projected to be finished by January 2021.

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Air Force fiscal 2018 space research, development and evaluation funds in the amount of $4 million are being obligated at the time of award. The cumulative value of the contract is $9.3 billion.

AEHF is designed for highly secured communications between the National Security Council, combat commands and tactical units. It can be used for multiple forms of data transmission ranging from nuclear command and control codes to near-live video streams. It is the follow-on system to the 1990s-era Milstar satellite network.

Specialized terminals are used by ground units, submarines, ships and aircraft. The system is specifically designed to coordinate multiple types of military units directly from the White House and Pentagon.

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