12th WGS satellite to be built for U.S. Space Force by Boeing
NewsMarch 06, 2024
EL SEGUNDO, California. Boeing won a $440 million contract to construct the 12th Wideband Global SATCOM (WGS) communications satellite for the U.S. Space Force's Space Systems Command, the company announced in a statement.
This addition to the WGS constellation is aimed at bolstering high-capacity, secure, and resilient communication capabilities for the U.S. military and its allies, the statement reads.
The new satellite, WGS-12, is designed to offer enhanced communication services in challenging environments, including anti-jamming capabilities. It is equipped with responsive, high-capacity beams, which are steerable and ensure reliable connectivity through the Protected Tactical Enterprise Service (PTES) ground system, the company says.
This system enhances anti-jam communications by combining the military's jam-resistant Protected Tactical Waveform with advanced antenna technology in the Ka frequency band, and it integrates Boeing's Protected Tactical Satcom Prototype payload, marking it as the second Protected Wideband Satellite in the fleet, the statement adds.