VSAT - Viasat Announces First U.S. Navy Military Sealift Command Ship Installation | Benzinga
Company to Maintain and Operate Commercial Communications Infrastructure for 105 Ships Under Next Generation Wideband Follow-On Contract
CARLSBAD, Calif., Feb. 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Viasat, Inc. (NASDAQ:VSAT), a global leader in satellite communications, today announced the completion of the first ship installation for the U.S. Navy Military Sealift Command (MSC) under the Next Generation Wideband (NGW) Follow-On (FO) 10-year Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity contract awarded to Inmarsat Government by the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) on June 30, 2022. Under the contract, the company maintains and operates commercial communications infrastructure, which includes satellite systems, teleport services and terrestrial services. Inmarsat Government is now part of Viasat's government business following the company's acquisition of Inmarsat on May 30, 2023.
This first installation of 105 ships demonstrates the company's ability to deliver a robust, reliable global managed satellite communications (SATCOM) solution. The company upgraded the MSC ship's primary afloat network from Ku-band to the Global Xpress (GX) Ka-band system and ELERA Enhanced L-band Maritime Antenna (ELMA), a variant of the award-winning LAISR L-band solution to provide communications on the move via a small-size, high throughput terminal.
"As the premier maritime logistics provider for the U.S. Department of Defense, the Military Sealift Command plays a critical role in our nation's defense. Our ships must have resilient communications capabilities that deliver consistent performance and can be relied upon regardless of location or weather conditions," said Eliot J. Skinner, Deputy Command Information Officer. "These upgrades ensure that our Mariners can confidently operate anywhere in the world knowing they have a reliable, redundant communications network supporting them."
The hybrid solution of Ka- and L-band service ensures that the MSC ships have secure, resilient, worldwide communications capabilities, as well as a reliable global, on-demand backup network. This ...