SES reports that SES Government Solutions (SES-GS) has extended the means by which the U.S. Government can access their global satellite fleet and custom network solutions capabilities and has been awarded a Custom SATCOM Solutions (CS2) contract.

CS2 is the third segment of the Future Commercial Services Acquisition (FCSA), which was created by the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) and the General Services Administration (GSA) to increase the means by which the Government can procure satellite capability from industry.

The contract has been awarded to eight companies and has a total funding ceiling of USD 2.6 billion over a base period of three years with two additional one-year options.

With this award, the U.S. Government will be able to contract directly with the global satellite operator to obtain mission-tailored communications capability and solutions on SES' fleet of 51 communication satellites.

Tip Osterthaler, President and CEO of SES Government Solutions, noted, "The government traditionally approaches any acquisition of communications capability from a requirements perspective.

"Beginning with the mission requirement, as an industry we're able to respond with a customized solution, tailored to meet their unique needs.

"The CS2 contract is a step in the right direction as it enables the government to procure capability in a fashion that's in line with the way they operate. We're proud to be part of the CS2 team."