Boeing Completes On-Orbit Handover of 2nd Wideband Global SATCOM Satellite to US Air Force –Press Release
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Boeing Completes On-Orbit Handover of 2nd Wideband Global SATCOM Satellite to US Air Force
EL SEGUNDO, Calif., June 17, 2009 – Boeing [NYSE: BA] on June 15 successfully transferred control of the second Wideband Global SATCOM (WGS) satellite to the U.S. Air Force, which will monitor and control the new satellite from Schriever Air Force Base, Colo. WGS-2 was declared ready for Department of Defense operational testing after rigorous ground testing, an April 3 launch and a thorough on-orbit checkout. WGS satellites are the Defense Department’s highest-capacity
communications satellite, offering a major increase in bandwidth for airmen, soldiers, sailors and Marines.
“The Air Force could not be more pleased with the performance of the WGS government-industry team and, of course, the performance of this important satellite,” said Brig. Gen. Samuel Greaves, commander of the Military Satellite Communications (MILSATCOM) Systems Wing at the Air Force’s Space and Missile Systems Center in Los Angeles. “We have high
expectations in the MILSATCOM Systems Wing, and this team has once again proven that it is fully capable of meeting that challenge.”
The WGS system will augment and eventually replace the Defense Satellite Communications System (DSCS) constellation. WGS-1, which Boeing delivered to the Air Force in January 2008, and WGS-2 together are capable of handling more than 25 times the capacity of the entire DSCS constellation. The Defense Department has ordered six WGS satellites
from Boeing and is making plans to buy more satellites to address growing SATCOM bandwidth needs worldwide.
“The WGS-2 handover is another important step in our overall mission to supply a system that will provide a quantum leap in wideband satellite communications worldwide,” said Craig Cooning, vice president and general manager of Boeing Space and Intelligence Systems. “Boeing is proud to have delivered another WGS satellite that is meeting and, in many cases, exceeding all requirements for our Air Force customer.”
A unit of The Boeing Company, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is one of the world’s largest space and defense businesses specializing in innovative and capabilities-driven customer solutions, and the world’s largest and most versatile manufacturer of military aircraft. Headquartered in St. Louis, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is a $32 billion business with 70,000 employees worldwide.
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Contact:
Diana Ball
Space & Intelligence Systems
562-797-4303
diana.ball@boeing.com
Marc Selinger
Space & Intelligence Systems
703-414-6138
marc.selinger@boeing.com
Press Release: AAR BROWN INTERNATIONAL PROVIDES COMMAND AND CONTROL SYSTEMS FOR U.S. AIR FORCE
WOOD DALE, ILLINOIS – October 8, 2008 – AAR Brown International today announced the successful testing of the Battlespace Command and Control Center (BC3) AFCENT and its subsequent delivery to the U.S. Air Force. The BC3 system was developed to support CENTAF’s Warfighter Urgent Capabilities Need (WUCN) request to replace a legacy air control capability. BC3 presents the Air Force with a robust Command and Control (C2) capability to conduct aircraft control and airspace management in Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom (OIF/OEF). One of the important requirements for this system was to undergo ground-up rapid development, which included design, manufacture, test, and delivery in less than one year. AAR Brown International was able to achieve this goal as the BC3 is based on existing technology that the business is familiar with and has integrated on a smaller scale in U.S. Army and Air Force Tactical Operation Centers (TOC). The BC3 was assessed by the Air Force during developmental and operational testing and most recently completed a Joint Interoperability Test (JIT) and an Air Force System Interoperability Test (AFSIT). A vehicle-mounted BC3 Mobile Training System was delivered to Air Force Command and Control Units in late January 2008 to assist and support crew preparation for using the advanced BC3 systems in a wartime environment.



