XTAR Selected to Provide Connectivity to U.S. Navy UAS Program
Company to supply X-band satellite services for the continued testing of the MQ-4C Triton UAS
ASHBURN, VIRGINIA, April 20, 2017 (Newswire.com) - XTAR, LLC has announced that it has been selected once again by the U.S. Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) to supply X-band satellite bandwidth for the MQ-4C Triton UAS. The blanket purchase agreement has a ceiling of $9.8 million and consists of a one-year base with four one-year options.
The MQ-4C Triton is an unmanned aircraft system (UAS) developed under the Navy’s Persistent Maritime Unmanned Aircraft Systems program. Designed and manufactured by Northrop Grumman for the U.S. Navy, the MQ-4C is intended to provide real-time intelligence and reconnaissance in a maritime environment. Triton’s communications payload is built to specifically leverage X-band and military Ka-band frequencies.
“XTAR’s space segment is naturally suited for this type of application,” explains Philip Harlow, President & COO at XTAR. “X-band service on-demand provides the U.S. Navy with the flexibility they need and the reliability they require while remaining extremely cost effective.”
"Commercial satellite service fills a mission-critical connectivity requirement needed for the development of Triton's next-generation intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capability," states Lieutenant Commander Franklin Huebel of NAVAIR.
X-band services will continue to be provided to the Patuxent Naval Air Station in Maryland on the XTAR-LANT North America spot beam.
ABOUT XTAR
Founded in 2001, XTAR, LLC is the first commercial satellite operator to provide services in the X-band frequency. XTAR is a privately owned company backed by majority shareholder Loral Space & Communications of New York. XTAR also enjoys investment and support from minority shareholder Hisdesat Strategic Services SA. XTAR launched its fleet without government funding, employing its own technical and financial resources for a system that is reserved exclusively for the benefit of the government user. Countries around the world trust XTAR to support critical services such as border security and information gathering.
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Contact: Aimee Taylor
+1 (703) 725.1294
aimee.taylor@marketalignment.com
DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT A: Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited 17 April 2017; 2017-262
Source: XTAR, LLC