Defence Online

DPRTE partner Airbus secures MOD communications satellite contract

Air July 21, 2020

The Defence Secretary, Ben Wallace, has confirmed that DPRTE Engage Online event partner, Airbus, has been awarded a contract worth £500 million for a new military communications satellite is set to keep troops safe across the globe for decades to come.

Built by Airbus Defence and Space, SKYNET 6A will soar among the stars, providing the UK’s Armed Forces fast, secure and reliable communications from thousands of miles above, wherever they are deployed.

SKYNET 6A will use some of the most advanced technology available, including a higher radio frequency spectrum and the latest in digital processing to provide more capacity, speed and greater versatility than its predecessor system the SKYNET 5 constellation.

The £500 million boost is the latest investment in the technological safeguards that help the UK’s Armed Forces deter threats from anywhere in the world, including Russia and China. This will secure UK leadership in defensive space and cyber operations for generations to come.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said: “To safeguard our military on operations around the world we need to ensure that we protect their communications on land, sea or in air. The newest contested frontier is space and so we need to provide resilience and better communications for our forces. SKYNET 6A is one of many solutions we shall be investing in over the next decade. This Government recognises the urgent need to defend and promote space capabilities.”

This new satellite will continue to be controlled from the UK’s existing ground stations, allowing for greater flexibility and security.

Effective and secure satellite communications are essential to support troops on the ground, and with the development of SKYNET 6A our personnel can continue to rely on space for secure communications until 2040 and beyond.

Built and assembled in the UK, the SKYNET 6A contract will sustain 550 highly skilled jobs, making good on the Government’s commitment to drive employment across the UK.

Science Minister Amanda Solloway said: “Space technology plays an important role in supporting our military and keeping us safe, while also boosting the UK’s economy and enabling world-leading science and research.

“With this major investment in Skynet 6A, the development of the National Satellite Test Facility and the launch of a dedicated innovation programme, we are setting a bold new ambition for the UK in space.”

The contract covers all aspects of the satellite’s development. From the design, manufacture, and assembly stages, to integration, testing and finally the launch, SKYNET 6A will revolutionise the way defence is able to communicate.

SKYNET 6A is a modern design that exploits the latest technologies available from Airbus Defence and Space. The satellite will use the new Airbus Eurostar Neo telecommunications satellite platform coupled with electric orbit raising propulsion and station keeping systems.

Airbus Defence & Space is the UK arm of the Airbus firm. Completing the work in the UK will ensure SKYNET 6A remains a sovereign capability with the very best technology the private sector has to offer.

Airbus are an official Prime Contractor Partner at DPRTE Engage Online 2020.

Official DPRTE Engage Partner: Airbus

They will take their place at the event’s Prime Contractor and Supply Chain Engagement Zone, which will bring together many of the key Prime Contractors currently engaged within the delivery of MOD projects.

Book your place today and join over 1,500 key decision makers at this hugely important virtual event – https://www.dprte.co.uk/book-now/

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Post written by: Matt Brown