Boeing nabs $2.8 billion nuke communications contract
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios
The U.S. Space Force tapped Boeing to build at least two satellites to be used for nuclear weapons coordination.
Why it matters: The company bested Northrop Grumman for the nearly $3 billion Evolved Strategic Satellite Communications (ESS) contract.
State of play: The ESS satellites will succeed the service's Advanced Extremely High Frequency constellation, a key part of command-and-control networks that ensure the U.S. can use its nukes if and when the time comes.
- Boeing is expected to deliver the first spacecraft by 2031.
- The verdict has been years in the making, with preliminary work dating back to 2020.
What they're saying: "The U.S. needs a strategic national security architecture that works without fail, with the highest level of protection and capability," Kay Sears, the vice president and general manager of Boeing's space, intelligence and weapons division, said in a statement.
- "We designed an innovative system to provide guaranteed communication to address an evolving threat environment in space."
- The company's announcement touted a "highly protected" waveform as well as classified technologies developed alongside the Defense Department.
Between the lines: Its bid was built on prior experience with Wideband Global SATCOM-11 and -12 spacecraft as well as the O3b mPOWER system.
Zoom out: The combined 2025-34 nuke plans of the Defense and Energy departments add up to $946 billion, the Congressional Budget Office said in April.
- Nuclear acquisition programs represent almost 12% of the Pentagon's planned buying costs over the next decade.
Go deeper: A "more powerful" Space Force requires upgraded arsenal, says Kendall
