The U.S. Army has concluded a one-year pilot project investigating the outsourcing of satellite communications services to private companies. While the pilot project demonstrated the efficiency of managed services, the long-term implications for the Department of Defense's reliance on commercial satcom providers remain unclear.
Under the pilot program, the Army selected satellite operators Intelsat and SES to provide “satcom as a managed service.” This model involves the provider managing all satellite communication functions, including equipment setup and maintenance, network management, and technical support, through a subscription-based contract.
David Broadbent, president of Intelsat’s Government Solutions, emphasizes that the pilot program showcased the effectiveness of managed services but acknowledges uncertainty regarding the Army's full adoption of this model for future satcom procurement. He believes the current approach to acquiring satcom is inefficient and advocates for the managed-services model as the future.
The 12-month trial highlighted the benefits of commercial providers offering the latest equipment and customer service. Intelsat's managed network, for instance, combined its Flex service for geostationary (GEO) satcom with commercial low-earth orbit (LEO) satellite services, providing coverage across 10 different locations under diverse weather and terrain conditions.
Broadbent highlights the current "disjointed" nature of military satcom, involving multiple vendors handling terminals, ground stations, and satellite services, leading to inefficiencies and delayed deployment times. The pilot program demonstrated that Army organizations could consolidate satcom services under a single contract, streamlining end-to-end service management.
Feedback from the Army regarding the pilot project has been positive, with users appreciating the flexibility of on-demand network deployment. The future of managed services for military satcom may depend on funding, with Broadbent anticipating future defense budgets to include funding for scaling these services into an official program.
The pilot's completion coincides with Intelsat and SES's merger talks, with both companies competing in the U.S. Space Force's Proliferated Low Earth Orbit (PLEO) Satellite-Based Services contract, which provides satcom services under an indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity (IDIQ) structure. Broadbent notes that the PLEO contract lacks the flexibility the military requires, as entities like the Army prefer greater control over budget and procurement processes. He suggests that the type of managed, multi-orbit service tested in the pilot would likely be acquired directly through Army channels rather than via the PLEO contract.
The challenges of integrating commercial satcom services into military procurement processes were discussed at the Potomac Officers Club’s GovCon International Summit, where Broadbent identified inefficiencies in the defense acquisition process. Jeremy Leader, deputy director of the Commercial Space Office at the Space Systems Command, shares Broadbent's concerns, emphasizing the need for resilient military communication systems that can integrate commercial solutions. He acknowledges the obstacle of budget officials often perceiving commercial services as redundant due to existing government-owned satellites.
Leader suggests that military requirements should align more closely with commercial market offerings, rather than expecting private companies to fully tailor their services to military specifications.