Pentagon May Defer Launches of 2 Wideband Communications Satellites

Space News – WASHINGTON — Facing a budget crunch that has it scouring all possibilities for near-term cost savings, the U.S. Defense Department’s space leadership is considering deferring the launches of two wideband communications satellites currently under construction, including one that is being paid for by a consortium of U.S. allies, according to multiple sources.

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Boeing Foresees Additional WGS Satellite Orders

Space News – The U.S. Air Force is discussing the possibility of building at least two more Wideband Global Satcom communications satellites with funding from potential international partners, Boeing Network and Space Systems President Roger Krone said May 13. Krone said in a briefing with reporters he believes there is enough international appetite for additional satellites.…

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A 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…

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COMSATCOM 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…

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COMSATCOM 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.

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Satellite 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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Satcom Firms Seek Answers on Bandwidth Agreement

Defense News – One year ago, top Pentagon officials pledged to find a new way to work with the commercial satellite industry. And it was welcome news. Yet despite the backing of Frank Kendall, the Pentagon’s top acquisitions official, nothing has changed. Indeed, a study that Kendall promised industry during last year’s SATELLITE 2013 Conference in…

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Better Buying for SATCOM

Military Information Technology – Commercial satellite operators are hailing a recently approved congressional provision that encourages the Department of Defense to investigate using multi-year leases for commercial satellite services and for procuring government-owned payloads on commercial satellites. Signed by President Obama in late 2013, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for fiscal year 2014 includes…

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