US Space Force.
Boeing Secures $2.8B Contract to Bolster U.S. Strategic SATCOM Capabilities: EL SEGUNDO, Calif. – July 3, 2025 – Boeing [NYSE: BA] has been awarded a monumental $2.8 billion contract by the U.S. Space Force for the Evolved Strategic Satellite Communications (ESS) program, a critical initiative aimed at significantly enhancing the nation’s space-based nuclear command, control, and communications (NC3) architecture. The initial agreement covers the development and production of two advanced satellites, with provisions for two additional options in the future, underscoring a long-term commitment to resilient and secure strategic communications.
This substantial contract marks a pivotal moment in the modernization of the United States’ strategic satellite capabilities, ensuring robust and protected connectivity for the President of the United States and joint strategic forces operating worldwide. The ESS program is designed to deliver modernized, highly protected, and secure strategic satellite communications, particularly vital for Presidential National Voice Conferencing and the broader NC3 enterprise.
“It’s a critical time to advance U.S. space capabilities to ensure peace through strength,” stated Cordell DeLaPena, the U.S. Space Force Program Executive Officer for the Military Communications and Positioning, Navigation, and Timing Directorate. DeLaPena emphasized the demanding requirements of the strategic communication mission, noting, “The strategic communication mission requires protection, power and always-available capability, even through adversary attempts to interrupt our connectivity. These satellites will provide connectivity from space as part of a refreshed NC3 architecture for our nation.”
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The ESS space vehicles are engineered to deliver a substantial leap forward in capacity, flexibility, reliability, and resilience compared to the existing strategic communications satellites currently in orbit. This advancement is built upon a foundation of extensive technical maturation and risk reduction efforts, which Boeing has been diligently executing since 2020 under a rapid prototyping contract with the U.S. Space Force.
Kay Sears, vice president and general manager of Boeing Space, Intelligence and Weapon Systems, highlighted the imperative for an unfailing national security architecture. “The U.S. needs a strategic national security architecture that works without fail, with the highest level of protection and capability,” Sears asserted. “We designed an innovative system to provide guaranteed communication to address an evolving threat environment in space.”
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Boeign wins SATCOM contract for US Space Force.
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Boeing‘s solution for the ESS program leverages proven technology derived from its work on the Wideband Global SATCOM (WGS)-11 and WGS-12 satellites. Furthermore, key technological advancements have already demonstrated their efficacy on-orbit aboard the commercial O3b mPOWER constellation. Building on these established successes, this new strategic military communications satellite constellation will be equipped with highly flexible and resilient signals, specifically designed to protect against potential interruption or interception by adversaries.
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US Space Force.
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Michelle Parker, vice president of Boeing Space Mission Systems, underscored the company’s readiness and commitment. “This win validates all the investments and innovations we’ve made in our satellite technology, creating a technically mature and low-risk offering for the government,” Parker said.
She further detailed the extensive preparations, stating, “We scaled our production capacity, invested in our team, hired cleared talent, and assembled hot production lines to make sure that we can hit the ground running from day one. We are committed to delivering this critical capability to meet the strategic need.”
Upon deployment in geostationary orbit, approximately 22,000 miles (35,700 km) from the Earth’s surface, the ESS satellites will provide persistent and global coverage to strategic warfighters worldwide. These advanced spacecraft will utilize a highly protected waveform and incorporate classified technologies, developed through a close partnership with the U.S. Department of Defense, to ensure the utmost security and reliability of communications.
Boeing is slated to deliver the first of these two crucial space vehicles by 2031, marking a significant step in fortifying the United States’ strategic communication capabilities for decades to come.
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