Iridium Communications said it received a $738.5 million, seven-year contract for unlimited satellite services through Air Force Space Command, continuing a decades long relationship between the Pentagon and the Virginia-based company.
The contract, announced Sept. 13, was awarded through the Enhanced Mobile Satellite Services program. As part of the contract, Iridium will provide global secure and unsecure voice, broadcast and other services via 66 satellites in low earth orbit. Iridium has supported the EMSS program for 20 years, but according to the company, a seven-year term of the contract is unprecedented. The EMSS program was previously managed by the Defense Information Systems Agency.
“Iridium’s EMSS contract serves as a model for how commercial operators can cost-effectively and efficiently deliver critical satellite managed services to the warfighter” Scott Scheimreif, executive vice president of government programs at Iridium, said in a press release. “When you combine our unique network, our ecosystem of dedicated partners and an innovative, fixed-price, seven-year contract, you create an optimal environment for DoD and other USG program offices to effectively plan for and budget their programs, taking full advantage of the Iridium capability.”
According to Iridium, Defense Department subscribers more than doubled during the last contract period, from 51,000 to 125,000.
The contract extends from Sept. 15 through Sept. 14, 2026.
Nathan Strout covers space, unmanned and intelligence systems for C4ISRNET.
