The Commercial Space Office (COMSO) of the Space Systems Command of the United States Space Force has awarded a new five-year contract to Iridium Communications, a leading global provider of voice and data satellite communications, for Enhanced Mobile Satellite Services (EMSS) capabilities and security sustainment services (ECS3). The ECS3 contract will guarantee the EMSS Service Centre’s continuous excellent operations in support of vital U.S. government applications, thereby bolstering the Iridium EMSS program. Based on future surge requirements, the contract’s potential total value of $103 million could exceed its current estimated $94 million.
The Iridium EMSS program provides an infinite number of U.S. Department of Defence (DoD) and DoD-approved users with access to really global limitless secure and standard narrowband voice, broadcast, push-to-talk, and select other services. In order to support this program, the EMSS Service Centre connects to the Iridium network, facilitating vital applications for communication.
“This new agreement guarantees our vital assistance to the EMSS Service Centre for a very long time. For more than 20 years, we have collaborated with the Department of Defence EMSS Program Office to deliver the security and maintenance upgrades required to enable our warfighters to carry out their tasks. According to Scott Scheimreif, executive vice president, government programs, Iridium, “The EMSS mission is a perfect example of the U.S. Space Force’s recently released Commercial Space Strategy, leveraging the innovation of Iridium and our valuable partner ecosystem.” “We are privileged and proud to continue to provide support to our most important customer, and we look forward to working with the U.S. Space Force under the new space strategy.”
The prior version of this agreement, referred to as “GMSSA,” was signed in 2019 and had a $54 million value over 4.5 years. The Defence Information Systems Agency (DISA) awarded Iridium a seven-year, $738.5 million contract for airtime services in September 2019. This contract extends the EMSS program and solidifies Iridium’s position as a vital component of the US government’s critical communications infrastructure until at least 2026. The EMSS infrastructure will be supported by this new ECS3 contract until 2029.
