Iridium Communications, a leading provider of global voice, data, and PNT satellite services, announced it has been awarded a 5-year indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract from the United States Space Force's (USSF) Space Systems Command Commercial Space Office (COMSO) with a potential value of up to $85.8 million.

The System Infrastructure Transformation and Hybridization (SITH) contract enables technological refreshes, lifecycle upgrades, and security enhancements to the Enhanced Mobile Satellite Services (EMSS) Service Center, Technical Support Center (TSC), and Defense Ground Station (DGS). SITH is a follow-on contract to the Gateway Evolution Contract awarded to Iridium in 2019. 

The Iridium network provides resilient, mission-critical communications that warfighters need—anywhere in the world, even under adverse weather conditions. SITH is the latest of three core EMSS contracts between Iridium and the USSF. The EMSS Airtime Contract delivers unmatched truly global SATCOM connectivity, offering unlimited access for an unlimited number of DoD and federal government users. Meanwhile, through the Capabilities and Security Sustainment Services Contract (ECS3) awarded in April 2024, Iridium helps ensure the EMSS Service Center and DGS remain at peak performance.

"Through this contract, Iridium and the U.S. Space Force will continue to innovate and deliver resilient, secure, and highly reliable mission-critical communications," said Scott Scheimreif, executive vice president, Iridium. "Our solutions with the Department of Defense are designed to serve every layer of the warfighter's P.A.C.E. (Primary, Alternate, Contingency, Emergency) plan. We look forward to supporting the U.S. and our allies through new technology introductions and ongoing collaboration."

Powered by the only truly global low-Earth orbit (LEO) network, Iridium's voice and data solutions elevate situational awareness for military forces and provide precise tracking of critical assets in the harshest environments—delivering a level of performance and reliability that is not easily duplicated. Additionally, the company's expertise in satellite operations and network management is integral as it works to establish the ground Operations and Integration (O&I) segment for Tranche 1 of the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA). 

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