The German Armed Forces is procuring new communications satellites that can be used to transmit information effectively and securely worldwide. To this end, the Bundeswehr Procurement Office has now signed a contract for the delivery and operation of communication satellites with the company Airbus Defense and Space (ADS) GmbH as the main contractor.
The budget committee of the German Bundestag approved the project at the end of June. https://militaeraktuell.at/bundesheer-uh-60m-black-hawk-detail/ The deployment scenarios for the new satellites are diverse: “In future, the Bundeswehr will use the technologically advanced communications satellites not only to ensure but also to expand its global command and control capability and information supply for its own and friendly troop and deployment contingents,” as stated in a recent Bundeswehr press release. “The satellites will make a significant contribution to national security by establishing communication links.” “With the future communication satellites, the Bundeswehr will be at the cutting edge of technology,” said Ralph Herzog, Civilian Vice President of the Procurement Office, at the contract signing ceremony. The system will provide the Bundeswehr with an independent, war-ready satellite communications system. The new level 3 satellite communications system of the Bundeswehr (SATCOMBw) will replace the COMSATBw 1 and 2 satellites still in operation. As a replacement for the Bundeswehr’s current geostationary satellites, SATCOMBw Stage 3 has a significantly enhanced performance capability.
The financial requirements of the overall project amount to a total of around 2.2 billion euros, including production, manufacture and operation. The project will be financed over a period of 15 years from the special assets of the Bundeswehr and from 2027 from the defense budget (Section 14).
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