Airbus Defence and Space has received a blanket purchase agreement (BPA) contract to provide L-band satellite communication (SATCOM) services for the US Special Operations Command (USSOCOM).
The contract, issued through the Defense Information Technology Contracting Organization (DITCO), includes a one-year base performance period, with four option years, as well as a maximum ceiling of $32.6m.
Go deeper with GlobalData
Specific services to be provided include Inmarsat broadband global-area network capability (BGAN), FleetBroadband and SwiftBroadband airtime.
Airbus Defense and Space US Government satellite communications president Ed Spitler said: "This BPA win for comms-on-the-move (COTM) and comms-on-the-pause (COTP) applications reflects our long-standing commitment to assuring mission success at every level of military operations, by delivering the right mix of satellite connectivity services and applications."
Inmarsat US Government business unit president Peter Hadinger said: "As a valued distribution partner, Inmarsat congratulates Airbus Defense and Space on its successful bid and looks forward to our continuing support of the evolving on-demand worldwide connectivity requirements of USSOCOM."
Inmarsat BGAN provides a portable broadband internet solution for personal mobile or land vehicular applications, while FleetBroadband is a maritime global satellite internet, telephony and integrated services digital network (ISDN) for ocean-going vessels that use domed-terminal antennas.
An internet protocol (IP) packet-switched communications network, SwiftBroadband provides global in-flight voice and data connectivity for aircraft using the Inmarsat satellite constellation.
Headquartered at MacDill Air Force Base (AFB) in Florida, US, USSOCOM is responsible for the management of the various special operation component commands of the US Army, Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps.
The command is part of the Department of Defense (DoD) and represents the only unified combatant command legislated by the US Congress.
