Posts Tagged ‘Policy’
Satellite Communications and Security Cooperation: Achieving All-Weather Global Resiliency, Interoperability, and Affordability – by Working with WGS
Background. On December 7, 2016, the US Air Force launched the 8th of 10 planned Wideband Global SATCOM (WGS) satellites into orbit, from Cape Canaveral in Florida. This latest WGS satellite marks a technological leap forward for the WGS constellation, bringing more X- (and Ka-band) capacity to the Department of Defense. X-band is also an…
Read MoreClausewitz, Satellite Disaggregation, and Commercial Concealment as a Means towards Space Security
Next Week at MilSatCom USA, the Department of Defense and the commercial satellite industry will be looking at the challenges of defining and strengthening a future military space architecture. In planning for the future, it is often best to learn from the past. Let’s see what military strategist General Carl von Clausewitz (1780-1831) might suggest.…
Read MoreEnsuring Stability in the Asia-Pacific Region
Is There a Viable Business Case for Commercial Satellite Coverage without a Conflict? While there are currently no full-scale conflicts or natural disasters in the Asia-Pacific theater, it is widely agreed that this region is the most susceptible in the world to both types of events. Nation states there are gaining considerable economic, military and…
Read MoreShelton Anticipates Greater COMSATCOM Capacity Over Asia In 5-To-10 Years
Defense Daily – The Air Force anticipates greater commercial satellite communications (COMSATCOM) capacity in the Asia-Pacific region over the next five-to-10 years for the service to leverage, according to the head of its space forces.
Read MoreWould WGS International Partnerships Give DoD the Cutting Edge?
Recently, Frank Kendall warned that the U.S. military may soon fall behind in the arms technology race. Our potential adversaries are modernizing all of their capabilities, and we are trying to strategize how to counter this progress. In the current budgetary environment, can we hold tight to the existing satellite communications framework and still achieve this…
Read MoreA Look at “S4” of Federal Q1 &Q2 of FY 2014
By Guest Blogger Lt. General William Donahue, USAF (Ret.) – The consequences of “S4” (sequestration, shutdown, Snowden, and snow) were real and material during the first half of FY 2014. In spite of all the “S” that hit the fan, I applaud the successful budget deal that guided our leaders back toward their real job: funding the…
Read MoreCOMSATCOM Acquisition Primer – How Did We Get Here?
An XTAR Blog Series As I said in my introductory post to this series, DoD acquisition reform for commercial satcom is a complicated subject. Here are some of what I believe to be the reasons why this process has become so difficult, including the origins and history behind the erratic efforts at reform over the…
Read MoreCOMSATCOM Acquisition Primer Kick Off
An XTAR Blog Series Like our fellow American commercial satellite operators, XTAR is deeply embroiled in the debate surrounding COMSATCOM acquisition reform. As a service provider to U.S. Government users for over a decade, we’ve seen all types of attempted reforms – the entire gamut – from prudence to excess.
Read MoreCOMSATCOM Policy Struggles Continue Between Providers, DoD
Defense Daily – The Defense Department and commercial satellite communication (COMSATCOM) providers continue to disagree over how the service should handle future acquisition policy in an era of declining defense spending.
Read MoreSatellite Industry Frets About Future Military Business
National Defense – The Pentagon spends about a billion dollars a year on satellite communications services from commercial vendors, which supply about 80 percent of the military’s demand. The industry is worried, however, about the future of its Defense Department business, for several reasons.
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