(Photo/Viasat)
By Troy Turner
The U.S. Air Force has awarded two companies with operations in Huntsville an almost $438 million contract for the procurement of “space vehicles in support of the Protected Tactical Satellite-Global program.”
Space Systems Command is transforming its acquisition of satellite communications capabilities for the warfighter. Incorporating commercial baseline designs to meet military capability significantly enhances Space Force speed and efficiency to add capability to meet emerging threats, the command reported in 2025 during a previous contract period.
VIASAT Inc., headquartered in California, and INTELSAT General Communications LLC, headquartered in Virginia, will partner to provide related work at various locations, expected to be completed by March 19, 2029.
Other companies involved with the overall program include Boeing, Northrop Grumman and Astranis Space Technologies.
The 2026 award announced Tuesday is for the production of “PTS-G Space Vehicles,” with a projected launch in 2028, putting the first PTS-G satellite in orbit. A second wave of production awards for additional PTS-G satellite capability is planned for 2028, with launch planned for 2031.
Space Systems Command is the U.S. Space Force field command responsible for acquiring, developing, and delivering resilient capabilities to outpace emerging threats and protect U.S. strategic advantage in, from, and to space.
The command manages a $15.6 billion annual space acquisition budget for the War Department, working with joint forces, industry partners, government agencies, academia and allied nations, according to government documents.
The PTS-G contracts follow a $398 million award to Northrop Grumman on May 15 for the Space Force’s Enhanced Protected Tactical SATCOM-Prototype program, another element of the PTS Family of Systems, Air & Space Forces Magazine previously reported. That spacecraft will feature advanced anti-jam and data processing capabilities and is expected to launch in 2030.
The Space Force plans to spend $166 million on Enhanced PTS-P in fiscal 2027, which will support a critical design review for Northrop’s prototype and the start of satellite manufacturing and testing.
Viasat, a global communications company with high-speed satellite broadband services, operates an engineering and regional office in Huntsville that serves government and defense sectors, focusing heavily on secure satellite communications and tactical networking for the U.S. military.
Intelsat General provides satellite communication services support, including intelligence support, to various War Department agencies working on Redstone Arsenal.
The Space Systems Command, Los Angeles Air Force Base, Los Angeles, California, is the contracting agency.
Troy Turner is the editor and senior consultant for AlaDefense.com. He can be reached at [email protected]. His bio can be found here.
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