US Space Force awards $437M to Viasat, SES for military satellite network

The U.S. Space Force announced a combined $437 million contract with satellite operators Viasat and SES to build four small geostationary spacecraft for the Protected Tactical Satcom‑Global (PTS‑G) program. The satellites will use a dual‑band X/Ka architecture and a “swarm” configuration that spreads communications capability across multiple satellites, improving resilience against jamming or cyber attacks.

Under the contract, Viasat and SES will each deliver two satellites, with the first batch expected by March 2029. Pentagon documents also outline a second procurement round in 2028 for four additional satellites, targeting deployment by 2031. The award follows a July selection that included Astranis, Boeing and Northrop Grumman, underscoring the Space Force’s shift from large, single‑point‑of‑failure GEO assets toward distributed, commercially‑derived constellations.

The PTS‑G network is intended to provide protected tactical communications for U.S. warfighters worldwide, supporting both X‑band and military Ka‑band links.