USSOCOM awards Viasat a $ 350M contract for communications equipment.

Viasat Inc., a global communications company, announced today it was awarded an IDIQ contract with an initial ceiling of $350M for advanced equipment, systems, services and support to significantly modernize ground/air situational awareness, tactical data links, terrestrial networking, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR), tactical satellite communications, information assurance, network management and cybersecurity for Special Operations Forces.

The contract includes a diverse array of Viasat capabilities  to enable new concepts of operation (CONOPS), improve situational awareness, avoid fratricide and improve operational mission effects for Special Operations Force (Credit Viasat)

This major contract award includes a diverse array of Viasat capabilities recently assessed, tested and validated to enable new concepts of operation (CONOPS), improve situational awareness, avoid fratricide and improve operational mission effects for Special Operations Forces.

The IDIQ contract is structured to expand and evolve over time, keeping pace with rapid technology advancements in mobile networking, cybersecurity and broadband satellite communications technology sectors. The flexible nature of the IDIQ will allow Special Operations Command (SOCOM) to rapidly acquire, deploy and evolve a wide variety of new operational capabilities, terminals, products, systems, services, support and sustainment in support of current and future SOCOM missions.

"We at Viasat have a deep and enduring commitment to our growing partnership with SOCOM. As a part of that commitment we continue to exploit opportunities to apply our cutting edge commercial technologies to rapidly develop and deploy new and advanced military operational capabilities in support of SOCOM's most critical missions," said Ken Peterman, president, Government Systems Viasat. "This sole source award establishes a comprehensive contract vehicle enabling SOCOM to rapidly acquire and deploy these new and modern capabilities in support of evolving mission scenarios faster than ever before."

The IDIQ contract award is purposefully aligned with current Department of Defense (DoD) initiatives to modernize the military's tactical network. In recent statements to the Senate Armed Services Committee, General Raymond A. Thomas, III, Commander USSOCOM discussed this need to be able to rapidly transform capabilities: "While we are fully committed to winning the current fight, we are simultaneously working to prepare for the conflicts of tomorrow. We are always searching for improvements and relentlessly pursuing our next advantage."

This contract vehicle will help ensure SOCOM has a modern network with tactical systems that are agile and responsive to the complex requirements of the multi-domain battlespace, while assuring that deployed systems remain flexible enough to continuously evolve and adapt today's rapidly advancing technologies associated with mobile networking, information technology, cybersecurity and broadband satellite communications.