Lockheed Martin has been selected to apply its extensive experience with protected satellite communications to support a new generation of agile, commercially based military satellite communications technologies.

The U.S. Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center (SMC) MILSATCOM Systems Directorate awarded Lockheed Martin a contract to demonstrate concepts that allow data to seamlessly flow between existing MILSATCOM legacy systems and future protected communications systems.

"We are excited to help lay the groundwork for the next generation of protected Military Satellite Communications," said Robert F. Smith, Vice President of Space and Cyber for Lockheed Martin Information Systems and Global Solutions-Defense.

"We will leverage this expertise to deliver an innovative, cost effective concept that expands MILSATCOM capacity for the growing needs of tactical forces."

The 10-month contract is for the "Protected MILSATCOM Design for Affordability Risk Reduction Demonstration Study." The ultimate objective of the initiative is to develop a flexible and agile system that focuses largely on serving MILSATCOM tactical users, whose needs for protected communications continue to grow.

The first phase of the program is designed to determine the feasibility and affordability of using existing or narrowly modified commercial protected satellite communication systems to provide rapid development and low lifecycle costs in support of future MILSATCOM service demands.

Lockheed Martin was one of the contractors selected for the affordable gateway risk reduction and demonstration portion of the study.

This portion of the system will ensure the compatibility of new, commercially based systems with legacy systems, including the Advanced Extremely High Frequency System, for which Lockheed Martin is the prime contractor.

AEHF is a joint service satellite communications system that provides survivable, global, secure, protected, and jam-resistant communications for high-priority military ground, sea and air assets.

Work on the new gateway contract will be performed at multiple Lockheed Martin and subcontractor facilities across the country.