The U.S. Navy has accepted delivery of the
11th UHF Follow-On (UFO) spacecraft, built by Boeing [NYSE: BA],
following the satellite’s successful completion of its in-orbit test
program.
The satellite, which will provide secure mobile communications to
military personnel worldwide, was successfully launched on Dec. 17.
Built for the Navy’s Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command, San Diego,
the Boeing 601 spacecraft has undergone rigorous in-orbit testing of its
communications payload and bus infrastructure. The spacecraft will soon
be deployed for active use over the Indian Ocean, where it will help
address the critical need for increased military communications
capacity.
" This satellite stands as the crowning achievement in a 15-year program
in which Boeing has provided the nation’s warfighters with a secure,
reliable backbone for critical mobile communications," said Dave Ryan,
vice president and general manager of Boeing Satellite Systems. "It
joins a constellation of other satellites enabling military personnel in
all service branches to communicate among ships, aircraft and mobile
ground terminals through severe weather and ground cover."
Boeing previously delivered 10 UFO spacecraft under this contract,
originally awarded in July 1988 and now valued at approximately $2.1
billion.
A unit of The Boeing Company, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is one
of the world’s largest space and defense businesses. Headquartered in
St. Louis, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is a $25 billion business.
It provides systems solutions to its global military, government and
commercial customers. It is a leading provider of intelligence,
surveillance and reconnaissance; the world’s largest military aircraft
manufacturer; the world’s largest satellite manufacturer and a leading
provider of space-based communications; the primary systems integrator
for U.S. missile defense; NASA’s largest contractor; and a global leader
in launch services.
