By Shubhangi Chowdhury
The U.S. Space Force has awarded a $2.8 billion contract to Boeing to develop and launch its next-generation Evolved Strategic Satellite Communications (ESS) constellation to boost U.S. military’s strategic communications capabilities.
“It’s a critical time to advance U.S. space capabilities to ensure peace through strength,” said Cordell DeLaPena, the U.S. Space Force Program Executive Officer for the Military Communications and Positioning, Navigation, and Timing Directorate. “The strategic communication mission requires protection, power and always-available capability, even through adversary attempts to interrupt our connectivity. These satellites will provide connectivity from space as part of a refreshed NC3 architecture for our nation.”
The award money covers the design, development, and delivery of two high-capability ESS satellites with the Space Force retaining options to procure two more, potentially escalating the project’s value to approximately $12 billion. Work will be centered at Boeing’s El Segundo, California facilities with $100 million in FY 2025 research, development, test, and evaluation funds already been obligated.
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The first of two space vehicles would be delivered by 2031. ESS is envisioned to replace the existing Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) system, offering enhanced resilience and cyber capabilities.
Kay Sears, vice president and general manager of Boeing’s Space, Intelligence and Weapons systems business thinks that “the U.S. needs a strategic national security architecture that works without fail, with the highest level of protection and capability.”
Boeing’s new ESS satellites are designed to be a big step up from what’s currently in orbit —offering more capacity, flexibility, and reliability, along with better protection against threats. Since 2020, the company’s been working closely with the Space Force under a rapid prototyping deal to fine-tune the tech and cut down on risks before full production begins.
“We designed an innovative system to provide guaranteed communication to address an evolving threat environment in space,” Sears added.
Currently, the U.S. military is focusing on making sure its communication systems work anytime, anywhere even during war, cyberattacks, or satellite jamming. As part of that strategy, it’s moving away from older, slower programs and instead building faster, more flexible systems that can keep up with modern threats.
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Boeing is using technology that’s already working well in space on other satellites such as WGS-11, WGS-12, and O3b mPOWER to build this new military communications system. This is because it’s based on tried-and-tested tech, it’ll be more reliable. These new satellites will send signals that are harder to block or hack, so the military can stay connected even during serious threats or attacks.
When these satellites are placed high above Earth—about 22,000 miles up. They would stay in one spot over the planet and constantly cover the same area. This means U.S. military teams around the world can count on steady, reliable communication. The satellites will use special, super-secure signals and secret technology developed with the Department of Defense (DOD) to keep messages safe from enemies trying to block or steal them.
This award is part of a wider SATCOM overhaul within the Space Force, which includes earlier cancellations of slower, costlier programs like Protected Tactical SATCOM–Resilient (PTS‑R). The current strategy focuses to facilitate better nuclear command and control as well as other high-priority based defense communications.