Intelsat General Corp. of Bethesda, Md., on Feb. 23 said it has been awarded a subcontract to provide satellite connectivity for the Iraqi Ministry of Defense network of 150 very small aperture terminals, or VSATs.
Intelsat General did not disclose the value of the subcontract but said it is part of a larger $80 million indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contract the U.S. Army Communications and Electronics Command’s foreign military sales branch awarded to the 3Di Technologies subsidiary of L-3 Communications Corp.
The subcontract with 3Di calls for Intelsat General to provide nearly a full transponder of capacity on Intelsat’s IS-901, a Space Systems/Loral-built craft launched in 2001. Connectivity will be provided through Intelsat’s Mountainside teleport in Hagerstown, Md., to an iDirect network of 150 terminals, according to a press release.
“Even though American forces have left Iraq, there is an ongoing need for satellite coverage in the region,” Intelsat General President Kay Sears said in a statement. “Having connectivity through our satellite network will enable the Iraqi military to maintain communications throughout a wide area.”
